






\^ 






A 









THE 



HAND-BOOK OF NEEDLEWORK. 



»T 



MISS LAMBERT. 



" And though our country everywhere is filld 
With ladies, and with gentlewomen, skilld 
In this rare art, yet here we may discerne 
Some things to teach them if they list to learn." 

John Taylo&> 



WITH 

Ntttnctotts lUtistratiotts 

ENGRAVED BY J. J. BUTLER. 



NEW-YORK: 
WILEY & PUTNAM, 161 BROADWAY. 

1842. 



TO THE 

HE UNI' 

THIS VOLUME 

IS MOST RESPECTFULLY 

DEDICATED 

BY THE PUBLISHERS. 



PREFACE. 



In the following pages I have endeavoured to embrace 
those subjects which appeared most worthy of notice in a 
Treatise on Decorative Needlework, and by combining a 
brief historical sketch with a detailed account of the practice 
of each department, to render them more generally interesting 
than a mere Manual of directions and examples. 

I am indebted to my husband for his assistance in some 
of the historical notices, and again for his permission in al- 
lowing my maiden name to appear on the title-page, as 
being that by which I am more generally recognised in my 
avocation. 

It may be stated, that this volume was commenced three 
years since, but circumstances (here unnecessary to men- 
tion), occasioned its being laid aside until the commencement 
of the present year. It has been written at intervals snatched 
from my other employments, and I trust that the accuracy 
of the details will obtain that indulgence its literary merits 
cannot demand. 

F. S. 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I. 

Introduction — 

Early history of Needlework — The time of Moses — The ancient Egyptians 
— Greeks and Romans — Helen and Penelope — Embroidering of the Peplus — 
Needlework of the Middle Ages — The Anglo-Saxons — Anglicum opus — St, 
Dunstan — Needlework practised by men — Hangings or veils — Tapestries— 
Bayeux Tapestry — Work of Glueen Matilda — Ancient Pall belonging to the 
Fishmongers' Company — English Needlework in the sixteenth century — Va- 
rious occupations of ladies at that period — Needlework noticed by Addison — 
The close of the last century — Coloured Embroideries — Print work — Miss 
Linwood — her pictures — BerUn Patterns — Varieties of Needlework — Amuse- 
ment afforded by them 1 

CHAPTER II. 

Tapestry — 

Described by Spenser — Decoration of walls with Tapestry — Mentioned by Ho- 
mer — Antiquity of — Invention — the Phrygians — Women of Sidon — Phaeacia — 
Griffins and Centaurs — Athenian Tapestry — Story of Arachne and Minerva 
— Introduction of Tapestry by the Crusaders — Weaving Tapestry — First 
practised in Flanders — Arras — Introduction into England — Patronized by 
James I — Manufactory at Mortlake — Charles I and Sir Francis Crane — 
When Manufactured in France — Henry IV — Colbert, and Louis XIV — 
Manufacture Royale des Gobelins — History and productions of that Manufac- 
tory — Sully — Le Brun — Napoleon — Tapestry for St. Cloud — Evelyn's De- 
scription of Gobelin Tapestry — Dyeing Establishment, and Drawing-school 
of the Gobelins — The basse and haute lisse — Working of Tapestry — Instru- 
ments—Cartoons of Raffaelle— Tapestry of St. Mary's Hall, Coventry — 
Hampton Court 17 

CHAPTER III. 

Materials in General — 

The Products of the Animal, the Vegetable, and Mineral Kingdoms — Various 
Materials employed — Needlework of the present day— Materials useil by Miss 
Linwood — Facilities now possessed — Variety of Colours — Paper Patterns — 
Implements 27 



X CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER IV. 

Wool — 

Its Importance — Description of Sheep's Wool — the product of Cultivation — 
its History and Preparation — Merino, whence derived — Invention of Spinning 
and Weaving — mentioned by Moses — Linen and woollen cloths of the 
Egyptians — Duties of Women in the Primitive Ages — Produce of white 
Wool — Dyeing — German Wool — Prepared at Gotha— Introduction of Merino 
sheep into Saxony — First reared at Stolpen — Improvement in the quality of 
their Wool — Different qualities of Wool — Employed for Needlework — Zephyr 
Merino — Berlin Wool — Superiority of — Its qualities and capabilities — Used 
for Canvas-work and Embroidery — for Knitting, Netting, and Crochet — 
Varieties and Gluality of German Wool as prepared for Needlework — English 
Wool — Grounding — Worsteds — Crewels — Yarn — Fleecy — Hamburgh Wool 
— German Fleecy — Antiquity of the Art of Dyeing — Discovery of the Tyrian 
Purple — Anecdote relating to 30 

CHAPTER V. 

Silk — 

Antiquity of its use by the Chinese — Silkworms introduced into India and 
Persia — Carried to Constantinople — Into Greece — Palermo — Calabria — Italy 
and Spain — Rearing of Silkworms in France — The Silkworm of Ceos — 
Quantity of Silk used in England — Use of Silk among the Romans — Its 
rarity — Sold for its weight in Gold — Heliogabalus first wore a Silken Robe — 
General use of Silk at Rome — Silkworm described by Pausanias — Spinning 
and weaving Silk introduced into England — Marriage of the daughter of 
Henry III — Silk-women in the Reign of Henry IV — Silk Stockings worn by 
Henry VIII — Anecdote of Q.ueen Elizabeth — Broad Silk manufactured in the 
time of James I- -Silk-throwing Mill — Improvements of the Manufacture in 
England — Lines, by Cowper, on the Silkworm — Varieties of Silk — Their 
employment in Needlework — Mitorse Silk — Netting Silk — Sewing Silks — 
Crochet Silk— Dacca Silk— Floss Silk— Bourre de Sole— Spun SHk— Other 
materials resembling Silk — the Spider — Pinna — Spun Glass ... 44 

CHAPTER VI. 

Gold and Silver — 

Used in the earliest Ages for Embroidery — Mentioned in Exodus — Invention 
ascribed to A ttalus — The Robe of A grippina — The Tunic of Heliogabalus — 
Mantle of the statue of Jupiter — Vulcan's Net — Remains of ancient wire- 
work — Wire-drawing supposed to have been known to the Egyptians — Gold 
thread in the time of the Romans — Gold and Silver Thread of the present 
day — Its manufacture — Mosaic Gold — Wire-drawing first practised at Nurem- 
berg — Its introduction into England — Manufacture of GoM and Silver for 
Needlework — Gold thread of the Chinese — Passing — Gold cord — Gold braid — 
Bullion — Spangles — Lama and Paillon — Gold beads — Gold fringes — Military 
embroidery 56 

CHAPTER VIL 

Chenille, Braid, etc. — 

Derivation of the term Chenille — Chenilles of Silk, and Wool — Its manufac- 
ture — Application of— Braids — Their various kinds — Application of—- Union 
Cord — Straw — Nacre and Ecaille — Velvet — Flowers made of— Beads — Bugles 
— Paillons and Paillettes — Crepe — China Ribbon . . . . C4 



CONTENTS. XI 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Canvas — 

Different manufactures of — Various sizes — How designated — Mosaic Canvas 
— Silk Canvas — JB'lexible Canvas — Cotton Canvas — /English, French, and 
German — Striped Canvas — Imitation Silk Canvas — Thread Canvas — Penelope 
Canvas — Canvas for Tapestry-stitch — flattened Canvas — Its use — Woollen 
Canvas — Bolting -70 

CHAPTER IX. 

Berlin Patterns — 

Improvements in the Art of Needlew^ork since their Introduction — Their con- 
sumption in different countries — Manufacture of — Process of colouring — Adap- 
tation for working — Grounding — Defects of these Patterns — The remedy — 
Sorting of Patterns — Common rules of painting — Arrangement of Colours — 
Faces of Figures — Skies — Materials for working them on — Lining Berhn 
Canvas — Vienna Patterns — English work from Berlin Patterns — History of 
Berlin Patterns 76 

CHAPTER X. 

Drawing Patterns for Embroidery, Braiding, etc. — 

Designing of Patterns — Drawing on paper — Pouncing — Tracing on the ma- 
terial — Drawing Hquid — Large patterns — Repetition of the same design — 
Method of MM. Revel and Regondet — Patterns on muslins, &c. — Changing 
proportions of Patterns — Drawing upon various materials — Satin, Velvet, &c. 
— designing on the material ......... 84 

CHAPTER XL 

Implements — 

Needles — Manufacture of — Their antiquity — Knitting Needles and Pins — 
Netting Needles and Meshes — Crochet and Tambour Needles — Fihere-^ 
Embroidery frames — Large frames — Table frames — Standing frames — Tam- 
bour frames — Screw Embroidery frames — D'Oyley and Shawl frames — 
Meshes for raised work — Purse stretchers — Purse moulds — Chain mould — 
Fork for a chain 89 

CHAPTER XIL 

Framing Work — 

Dressing a frame — Framing canvas — Cloth and canvas — Velvet — Satin — Silk 
—Leather— Cloth, &c. 101 

CHAPTER XIIL 

Stitches — 

The working of stitches — Tent stitch — Cross stitch — Gobelin or Tapestry 
stitch — Irish stitch — German stitch — Imitation of lace — Various fancy 
stitches 106 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Embroidery — 

Introduced from the East — the invention of, attributed to Minerva — The 
Phrygians — Story of Procne — Embroidery mentioned by Pliny — other ancient 



Xll CONTENTS. 

authors — Homer — The embroideries of Helen — Andromache — Aholiab in the 
time of Moses — Embroidery mentioned by Ezekiel — Embroidery in gold in- 
vented by Attains — A law of Zaleucus — The garments of Tarquinius Prisons 
— Decorative needlework — Derivation of the term Embroidery — The Chinese 
— Embroideries from Manilla — Embroidery as at present practised in China — 
Indian Embroidery — Canadian — The negresses of Senegal — Ihe Georgians 
— The Turkish women — Modern Greeks — The women of Therapia — their 
extraordinary works — Embroideries of Vienna — Milan and Venice — France — 
Saxony — Nancy and Paris — In what the art consists — Shaded embroidery — 
Arabesque or Moresque Patterns — Flowers — Historical subjects, landscapes, 
and portraits — Various materials employed — ^Application of — French or flat 
embroidery — Embroidery in chenille — Embroidering coats of armr. — Raised 
embroidery — Raised cut embroidery — Embroidery in gold and silver — Embroi- 
dery in tambour — Chain stitch — Embroidery by machinery — The Weaver's 
Song ... - 112 

CHAPTER XV. 
Canvas Work — 

Rules relating to — Right way of the stitch — Berlin patterns — working from — 
enlarging work from — Cross stitch on one thread — Mixing of cross and tent 
stitch — Patterns to form a centre — Grounding — the mode of working — various 
colours for — Gobelin stitch — Colours — Sorting BerUn patterns — Flowers — 
Flesh colours — Patterns drawn on canvas — Crests and coats of arms — Intro- 
duction of silk with wool — Increase and decrease of work from Berlin patterns 
— Illustration of 136 

CHAPTER XVI. 
Crochet — 

Its varieties — Stitches — Directions for Working .... 147 

A sofa pillow, or table cover 149 

An easy Turkish pattern for a table cover or pillow . . . 150 

Another Turkish pattern for a table cover, etc. .... 151 

A table-cover or pillow , . . . 152 

Another table-cover 153 

Small pine-pattern table-cover 154 

Making up crochet table-covers • . .155 

A crochet slipper 156 

Chanceliere 158 

A plain crochet bag in silk , .159 

A crochet bag with star-shaped bottom 160 

Persian pattern bag ......... 162 

A star bottom for a bag with beads 162 

A bag with steel or gold beads 163 

Another bag with steel or gold beads, and silk of two colours . 164 

An elegant bag in blue, white, and gold ...... 164 

An open crochet bag in chenille 165 

Other patterns for bags 166 

A Greek cap in crochet silk 167 

A Greek cap in coarse chenille , . 167 

A penwiper in plain crochet 168 

A crochet neck chain 168 

A plain purse in crochet 169 

A plain crochet purse with square and round ends .... 169 



CONTENTS. Xlll 

A plain open crochet purse . . . . . . . .170 

A short crochet purse . . 170 

A sprigged purse in open and plain crochet 171 

Open crochet stitch 171 

A purse with beads, in plain and open crochet ,. , . . 173 

An elegant crochet purse with gold 173 

Plain double-stitch crochet purse, pine pattern .... 174 

Plain and open crochet purse . 175 

Another plain and open crochet purse 175 

A bridal purse . . . . 176 

A short purse or hag in plain stitch double crochet . . .177 

A baby's cradle cover, or a carriage wrapper 178 

Another square pattern, with a border . . . . . .179 

A round D'Oyley or mat 180 

• Travelling bags 181 

Explanation of terms used in crochet 181 

Hints on crochet 182 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Knitting — 

Unknown in England before the sixteenth century — mentioned in the Row- 
leian Forgeries — 1 he first stockings knit in England — Silk stockings worn by 
Henry VIII — Invention of Knitting — The Spaniards — the &cots — Knitting 
practised in Spain and Italy — Uueen Ehzabeth's stockings — The invention of 
the stocking frame — amusement it affords to the blind — employment to the 
poor — Knitting of the cottage girls in Ireland — Works on knitting — . 184 
An easy stitch for light scarfs, shawls, babies' quilts, etc. . . 187 

A D'Oyley . 188 . 

Checked or matted pattern 188 

Harlequin quilt with tufts 188 

Turkish knitting . : 190 

Raised knitting . . . .190 

Knitted fringe 191 

Vandyke border . 191 

A scalloped fringe or border 192 

Another knitted fringe . . . . . . . . . 193 

A spaced fringe for a crochet table cover, etc. .... 193 

Knitted insertion 193 

Bonnets de nuit d'hommes . . . 194 

Double nightcap 194 

Opera cap 195 

Barege knitting for shawls 197 

Shetland shawl patterns . . . . . . . . . 198 

A Shetland knitted scarf 199 

A Brioche . . . . 200 

Bourse a la Josephine 201 

German purse , . . . . . . , . . 201 

A strong knitted purse 202 

Open stitch purse with beads . . . . . . . 202 

Herringbone, or Shetland stitch for a purse 202 

A pence jug or purse 203 

Star-pattern shawl in two colours 204 

Plain ribbed muffatees 205 



XIV CONTENTS. 

Graham mufiatees 205 

Another pair of muffatees 206 

Pattern for a chair tidy or D'Oyley 207 

Double knitting for comforters, etc, 208 

A knitted bag, with black or garnet beads . . . . . 209 

Dotted knitting for babies' shoes, etc 209 

A knitted bonnet-caj) . 209 

A knitted muff in imitation of sable 210 

Another muff 210 

A baby's shoe 211 

Another very pretty baby's shoe 212 

A baby's stocking 213 

A double knitted scarf, in two colours . , . , . . 214 

Cable knitting 2l5 

Knitted cuffs 215 

Cover for an air cushion 216 

A fish napkin, D'Oyley, or Tidy 216 

A knitted mat 217 

Close stitch for a waistcoat, etc 217 

Honeycomb stitch, for a bag 218 

Baby's hood 218 

Long sleeves to wear under the dress 219 

Open stitch for a light shawl, D'Oyley, etc 219 

Jarretieres ........... 219 

Explanation of terms used in knitting 220 

A weaver's knot 221 

Hints on knitting 221 

The fez manufactory at Constantinople 222 

Barege, fchetland, and Sanquhar knitting 222 

CHAPTER XVIII. 
Netting 

Antiquity of the Art — The nets of the Egyptians — mention of, by Pliny and 
Herodotus — Fishermen's nets — Directions for netting — The netting knot 224 

Plain netted gentleman's purse 228 

A Lady's purse .......... 229 

Gentleman's purse with ends of different colours .... 229 

A lady's purse with points 229 

A pretty purse with chine silk , 230 

Netting with beads 230 

A plain netted purse with a bead mouth 230 

A pretty seme purse with steel or gold beads .... 231 

An elegant netted purse wath steel beads 231 

Plain netted mittens 232 

A knitter's bag with ring 232 

A checked or dice pattern purse 233 

Grecian netting or filet rose 233 

A purse in Grecian netting 234 

Mittens in Grecian netting 234 

Netted fringe 235 

Single diamond netting 235 

Treble diamond netting . 236 

Diamond netting, with five stitches 23G 



CONTENTS. XV 

Sem6 purse, diamond pattern 238 

Open plain netting, or filet a Bagaette 239 

Fond de Berlin 239 

Filet rose 240 

Filet a Baton rompu 240 

Filet Rond 241 

Netted mittens with silk and wool 241 

Netted cuff with silk and wool ....... 242 



CHAPTER XIX. 

Braiding and AppLiauE — 

Simplicity of braid work — executed by the Turks and Greeks — braiding in 
various materials — Patterns for — working of — Introduction of gold cord — 
Groups of flowers in braid — Adaptation of braid work— Union cord — Silk for 
sewing on braid — finishing of braid work — Applique — materials of which it is 
composed — its application — stamped leather — Lames de velours , . 243 

CHAPTER XX. 
Bead Work — 

German bead work — ^its application — Glass beads — paucity of their colours — 
Turquoise beads — Gold and silver beads — Steel beads — Designs for bead 
work — Introduciion of beads in other works — Tricot — duality of beads — Can- 
vas for bead work — Manufacture of glass beads .... 247 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Needlework of the English CIueens and Princesses — 

The four daughters of Edward the Elder — Clueen Matilda — Adelais, wife of 
Henry I— Katharine of Arragon — mention of, by Shakspeare — Sonnet — Anne 
Boleyn — Lady Jane Grey — Gtueen Mary — Sonnet — Clueen Elizabeth — 
Sonnet — Mary, Gtueen of Scots — Gtueen Mary II — Gtueen Charlotte and the 
Princesses — The Princess Royal, Uueen of Wiirtemburg— The Princess 
Sophia — The Princess Augusta — The Princess Amelia — The Duchess of 
York — The Duchess of Gloucester — Gtueen Adelaide — Her Majesty — The 
Duchess of Kent 250 



CHAPTER XXIL 

Conclusion — The Praise of the Needle — 

The " Needle's Excellency"— Poem by John Taylor— rarity of the work- 
some account of the Water Poet 258 



CHAPTER I 



Introbnction. 



" The various kinds of needle-work practised by our mdefaticrable grRnlmothers, 
if enuaierated, would astonish even the most industrious of our modern ladies." 

Douce. 

" The use of sewing is exceedingly old." 

J. Taylor. 

EEDLEWORK appears to have been not only 
a pastime for noble ladies, but the principal 
occupation, as a source of pecuniary advantage, 
for women, from the most remote periods. If 
we consult the earliest writings, abundant proof 
will be found of the high estimation in which this, — ■ 
one of the most elegant and useful of the imitative arts, 
— has been held in all ?^ges, and in every country ; 
^ and, that from time immemorial, it has e'^er been the 
constant amusement, and «olace, of the leisure hours of 
royalty itself 

In the time of IVToses, needlework ranked high among the 
arts practised by the nations of the East, — embroidery with 




INTRODUCTION. 



gold and with silver, and with silk, and precious stones, being 
frequently mentioned in the sacred writings, particularly where 
allusion is made to the work of the tabernacle ; — a proof that it 
had attained a considerable degree of perfection at a period so 
remote as three thousand four hundred years since. Even an- 
terior to this, needlework must have been greatly cultivated by 
the Egyptians, of whom the Israelites had doubtless acquired 
their knowledge. From the East, this art spread to Greece 
and Rome, and from thence over the whole of civilized Europe. 

Our knowledge of the needlework of the Greeks and Romans 
is principally to be gathered from Homer and Pliny. The names 
of Helen and Penelope are familiar to every one, as connected 
with this subject. There was a memorable custom among the 
Grecian dames, in accordance with which, they could not accept 
a second husband, until they had worked the grave-clothes of 
their deceased lords, or his next of kin ; and the story of the fa- 
mous web of Penelope, as related by Homer, is founded upon this 
fact. — Penelope having, as she thought, lost Ulysses at sea, she 
employed her time in working a shroud for Laertes, the father of 
her husband. 



" Sweet hopes she gave to every youth apart, 
With well taught looks, and a deceitful heart : 
A web she wove of many a slender twine, 
Of curious texture, and perplex'd design : 
My youths, she cried, my lord but newly dead, 
Forbear awhile to court my widow"d bed, 
Till I have wov'n, as solemn vows require. 
This web, a shroud for poor Ulysses' sire. 
His limbs, when fate the hero's soul demands, 
Shall claim this labour of his daughter's hands : 
Lest all the dames of Greece my name despise, 
While the great king without a covering lies. 

Thus she. Nor did my friends mistrust the guile. 
All day she sped the long laborious toil ; 



INTRODUCTION. O 

But when the burning lamps supplied the sun, 
Each night unravell'd what the day begun. 
Three live-long summers did the fraud prevail ; 
The fourth her maidens told th' amazing tale; 
These eyes beheld, as close I took my stand, 
The backward labours of her faithless hand ; 
Till watch'd at length, and press'd on every side, 
Her task she ended, and commenced a bride.' 

The ceremony of the embroidering of the peplus or veil for 
the statue of Minerva, and its consecration, has been handed 
down to us as one of the highest festivals of the Athenians.* 
The peplus was the work of young virgins, selected from the 
best families in Athens, over whom two of the principal, 
called Arrephorce, were superintendents. On it was embroidered 
the battles of the gods and giants ; amongst the gods was 
Jupiter hurling his thunderbolts against that rebellious crew, and 
Minerva, seated in her chariot, appeared the vanquisher of 
Typhon or Enceladus.f The names of those Athenians who 
had been eminent for military virtue were also embroidered on 
it. When the Panathenaic festival was celebrated, the peplus 
was brought down from the Acropolis, where it had been 
worked, into the city ; it was then displayed and suspended as 
a sail to the ship, which, on that day, attended by a numerous 



* The Panathenaic frieze, with which Phidias embellish'^d the outside of the 
temple of the Parthenon, represented this sacred procession, \i,.ch was celebrated 
every fifth year at Athens in honour of Minerva, the guardian goddess of the city. 
The remains of this frieze (one of the principal treasures in the collection of Elgin 
marbl s) is preserved in the British Museum. 

i Vide the Hecnba of Furi])ides, act ii. where the Trojan females are lamenting 
in anticipation the evils they will suffer in the land of the Greeks : — " Tn the city 
of Pallap, of / thena on the beautiful seat, in the woven pylvs I shall yoke colts to 
a chariot, pamting them in various different coloured threads, or else the race of the 
Titans, whom Zeus, the son of Kronos, puts to sleep in fiery all-surrounding 
flame." 



4 INTRODUCTION. 

and splendid procession, was conducted through the Ceramicus 
and other principal streets, till it had made the circuit of the 
Acropolis ; it was then carried up to the Parthenon, and there 
consecrated to Minerva.* 

The exact nature of the peplusf has been disputed ; but it 
is generally supposed to have been a sort of awning or 
covering suspended over the statue of the goddess. The 
following description of a similar covering, but of more ample 
dimensions, is given in the " Ion" of Euripides : 

" Then from the treas'ry of the god he takes 
The consecrated tap'stry, splendid woof! 
To clothe with grateful shade the wondrous scene. 
First o'er the roof he spreads the skirted peplus, 
■(The skirts on every side hang waving down), 
Spoil of the Amazons, the votive gift, 
That Hercules, heroic son of Jove, 
Returr.'d from conquest, offer'd to ^^ polio. 
On this rich produce of the loom are wrought 
The Hcav'ns, within whose spacious azure round 
The num'rous host of stars collective shine ; 
His coursers there, down to his western goal 
The Sun has driven ; his last expiring beams 
Draw forth the radiant light of Hesperus ; 
In sable stole Night urges on amain 
"With slacken'd reins her steeds and dusky car ; 
The Constellations on their swarthy queen 
Attend; there thro' the mid hcav'ns win their way 
The Pleiades ; his sword Orion grasps ; 
Above them shines the Bear, circling round 
Heav'n's golden axis ; while the full-orb'd Moon, 
That halves the varying months, daits from on high 



» Vide Stuart's Athens, vol. ii. p. 8. The famous statue of Minerva was of 
ivory and gold, the work of Phidias. 

+ " Peplus, a garment and the like : the use of it is twofold, to wear as a gar- 
ment, or to cover something; that it signifies a covering, we may conclude from the 
Pcpli of Minerva." — Pollucis Otiwnnsf.icnn, lib. vii. c. 13. For a further description 
of the peplus, viJc Mcursius in his Panalhccnaia and RoliqucB AUicce. 



INTRODUCTION. 5 

Her grateful splendor : there the Hyatles, 
To mariners unerring well-known sign, 
ilppear; and gloomy in the east Aurora 
The harbinger of day. that from the sky 
Chases night's glittering train." 

In the Middle Ages, dacorative needlework for the service 
of the Churcli, i^ we may believe the writings of Anasta.sius 
the Librarian.* a;id others, was carried to an excess of mag- 
nificence scarcely to ba credited. The vestments of the 
ecclesiastics, the altar cloths, the palls, and the veils or curtains, 
were wrought with the most costly materials ; — gold, silver, 
pearls, and precious stones, being lavished with the utmost 
profusion. 

In England, during the Saxon dynasty,! the women were 
famous fjr their needlework, and English work [AngUcv/ni opus) 
was long proverbial abroad for its excellence. 1: The Anglo-Saxon 
ladies were accustomed, like those of Greece and Rome, to 
embroider the exploits of their husbands on the hangings of 
their chambers ; ladies of the highest rank thus occupied their 



* Vide Anastasius Bibliothecarius, de Vitis Pontificum Romanorum. Edit. 
Paris, 1(549, vol. ii. p. 1*27, and numerous other passages. 

t The art of embroidery a[)pears to have been unknown in England before 
the seventh century, in fact we find no mention of it, or even of the weaving 
of figured textures, until about the year G80. At this period, in a book 
written by Aldhelm, bishop of Shereburn, in praise of virginity, he observes, 
that chastity alone did not form an amiable and perfect character, but required 
to be accompanied and adorned by many other virtues : and this observation 
he further illustrates by the following simile taken from the art of weaving : — 
"As it is not a web of one uniform colour ami texture, without any variety 
of figures, that pleaseth the eye and appears beautiful, but one that is woven 
by shuttles, filled with threads of purple, and many other colours, flying from 
side to side, and forming a variety of figures and images, in difl'erent compart- 
ments, with admirable art." — Vide Allhdai de Virginitate, in BiU'wUicca 
Pa! rum y torn. xiii. 

; Gul. Pictavens. p. 211. 



6 INTRODUCTION. 

leisure hours, as also more particularly in working various 
ornaments for the Church, and the vestments of the Clergy. We 
are told by William of Malm3sbury, that St. Dunstan, in his 
younger days, did not disdain to assist a pious and noble lady 
in the drawing of a design for embroidering a sacerdotal robe, 
which she afterwards wrought in threads of gold. The four 
daughters of Edward the Elder, and sisters of king Athelstan, 
were highly praised and distinguished on account of their great 
assiduity and skill both in spinning, weaving, and needlework;* — 
accomplishments which, so far from injuring the fortunes of these 
royal maidens, procured for them the addresses of the greatest 
princes in Europe. In the tenth century, we find Edelfreda, 
widow of Brithned, duke of Northumberland, presenting to the 
church of Ely a veil or curtain, on which she had depicted with 
her needle the deeds of her deceased lord. Ingulphus, in his 
history, mentions that among other gifts made by Witlaf, king 
of Mercia, to the abbey of Croyland, he presented a golden cur- 
tain, embroidered with the siege of Troy, to be hung up in 
the church on his birth day.f At a later period. — 1155. a pair 
of richly worked sandals, and three mitres, the work of Christina, 
abbess of Markgate, were among the valuable gifts presented by 
Robert, abbot of St. Albans, to Pope Adrian IV. | Numerous 



* William of Malmesbury, b. ii. c. 5. 

t Ingulphus, p. 487, edit. 1596. 

: Adrian IV. was the only Englishman who ever sat in St. Peter's chair. 
His name was Nicolas Breakspear : he was born of poor parents at Langley, 
near St. Alban's. Henry II. on his promotion to the papal chair, sent a 
deputation of an abbot and three bishops to congratulate him on his election ; 
upon which occasion he granted considerable privileges to the abbey of St. 
Alban's. With the exception of the presents named above, he refused all the 
other valuable ones which were offered him, saying jocosely, — " I will not ac- 
cept your gifts, because when I wished to take the habit of your monastery 
you refused me." To which the abbot pertinently and smartly replied, — " It, 



INTRODUCTION. 



other instances might be cited from the monkish historians, 
were it necessary to enter more fully into the subject Maids 
used to work with their mistresses ; and men, especially the 
monks, practised decorative needlework.* In fact, to the time of 
the Reformation, it formed the principal occupation of the se- 
cluded life of the nuns, in the various religious houses 
throughout England. 

Hangings or veils, such as we have mentioned, and — 

" tapestry richly wrought 
And woven close." 

were the description of needlework, which, in former times, 
principally occupied the attention and fingers of the fair. 
Remnants of these may still be seen in some of our royal and 
noble residences. The designs were worked, or embroidered, with 
a needle, with worsted or silk of various colours, and not un- 
frequently intermixed with gold and silver threads, on a 
groundwork of canvass, or texture of cloth or silk, in a manner 
very different, however, from those either of Flanders, or the 
Gobelins ; — an invention, comparatively speaking, of modern times, 
partaking more of the character of weaving than of needlework, 
and of which we shall hereafter make more especial mention, 
when speaking of tapestry in general. 

The celebrated needlework of Bayeux, doubtless the most ancient 
specimen in existence,! is supposed to have been the work of 



was not for us to oppose the will of Providence, which had destined you for 
greater things." 

* The practice of needlework, even at the present day, is not entirely 
confined to the softer sex. Many men, particularly officers of the army, have 
not deemed the use of the needle more derogatory than that of the pencil. — 
Most of the best specimens of embroidery done on the continent, more especialljr 
the appendages of the sacerdotal and military dress, are executed by meii^ o/i.s 

t We must not omit to mention the pall used at the funeral of iSic qWiffiaaa 



8 INTRODTJCTIOX. 

IMatilda, queen of William the Conqueror, and her maidens,* by 
Avhom it was presented to the cathedral of Bayeux in Normandy," 
where the canons were accustomed to gratify the people with its 
exhibition on particular occasions. It consists of a continuous web 
of cloth, two hundred and twenty-seven feet in length, and twenty 
inches in width, including the borders at top and bottom ; these 
are formed of grotesque figures of birds, animals. &c., some of 
which are supposed to represent the fables of ^sop. In the part 
pourtraying the battle of Hastings, the lower border consists of 
the bodies of the slain. The whole is worked or embroidered with 
worsted, representing the various events connected with the inva- 



"Walworth, in the fourth year of Richard II. a. d. 1381. This, perhaps tlie most 
magnificent piece of ancient needlework in existence, is still preserved by the 
Fish.aiongers' Company. The ends which are exactly similar, represent ^t. 
Peter seated on a throne, clothed in pontificial robes, and crowned with 
the papal tiara ; he is giving the benediction with one hand, whilst in the 
other he holds the keys. On either side of the saint is an angel scattering 
incense from a golden vase. The sides of the pall, which are also similar, 
are richly decorated with the arms of the Fishmongers' Company at either end ; 
the centres represent our Saviour giving the keys to Peter. The faces of the 
figures (including those of the merman and mermaid, the supporters of the 
arms) are most beautifully executed ; but we would more particularly call the 
attention of those interested in such works to the face of our Saviour, which 
may justly be termed a masterpiece of art. The whole is richly and elabor- 
ately wrought in gold, silver, and silk, on a coarse kind of linen cloth; 
the ground being composed entirely of gold, with a p^ittern in relief. The top 
of the pall, it is supposed, was originally embroidered in the same manner, but it 
has been lost, and its place is now supplied by a rich brocade of gold, bearino- 
the stamp of great antiquity. The arms of the Fishmongers' Company are, azure, 
three dolphins, naiant in pale, between two pairs of lucies, in salterwise, proper, 
crowned, or; on a chief, gules, three couple of keys, crossed, as the crowns; 
supported on the dexter side by a merman, armed, and on the sinister by a mer- 
maid, holding a mirror in her left hand ; crest, two anns sustaining a crown; — 
Motto. " AH n-ors/i'p U to God mily. " 

* Though Glueen Matilda directed the working of the Bayeux Tapestry, yet 
tne greater part of it was most probably executed by EngiiS'i ladies, who were 
at this period, as wc have before stated, celebrated for their needlework. 



INTRODUCTION. \) 

slon and conquest of England by tlie Normans. It comprises 
altogether, exclusive of the borders, about five hundred and thirty 
figure?, three only being females. The colours, as may be readily 
suppDsed from the period in which it was executed, are not very 
numerous, consisting only of dark and light blue, and green, red, yel- 
low, and buff; and these, after a lapse of nearly eight hundred years. 
have become considerably faded, whilst the cloth itself has assumed 
a brown tinge. This curious piece of work appears to have been 
wrought without any regard to the natural colours of the subjects 
depicted, — the horses being represented blue, green, red, and yellow, 
and many of them have even two of their legs of a different colour 
to their bodies; — -as for instance, a blue horse has two red legs 
and a yellow mane, whilst the hoofs are also of another colour. 
The drawing of the figures has been termed ''rude and bar- 
barous," but in the needlework of this age, we must not look for 
tlie correct outline of the painter. The work is of that kind 
properly termed embroidery ; — the faces of the figures, and some 
other parts, are formed of the material composing the ground, — • 
the outline of the features being merely traced in a kind of 
chain stitch. Nevertheless, taking the whole as a piece of 
needlework, it excites our admiration, and we cannot but wonder 
at the energy of mind which could with so much industry embody 
the actions of a series of events ever memorable in the pages of 
history.* 

An idea of the various descriptions of needlework practised by 
English ladies in the sixteenth century, may be gathered from 
some of the poems of the laureate Skelton. 

* Some beautifully coloured engravings of the Bayou x Tapestry, from drawings 
by Mr. Stothard, have been pul)Iishcd by the Society of Antiquaries in the 
'* Vetusta Monumenta ; " — as also in the magnificent work recently published 
in Paris, by M. Archille Jubinal, entitled " Les Anciennes Tapisseries Historiees." 



10 INTRODUCTION. 

"With that the tappettcs and carpettes were layde, 
"Wheren these ladyes softely might rest, 
The sampler to sowe on, the laces to embroyde. 
To weave in the stole some were full prest, 
With slaies, with tavels, with hedelles well drest, 
The frame was brought forth, with his weaving pin ; 
God give them good speed their work to begin. 

" Some to embroider, put them in prease, 
Well gydyng their glotten to keep straight their silke; 
Some pyrlyng of golde, their work to encrese, 
With fingers small, and handes as white as mylke, 
With reche me that skayne of tewly sylke, 
And wynde me that batoume of such an hewe, 
Grene, red, tawney, whyte, purple, and blewe." 

From the time of Elizabeth,* when the study of the dead lan- 
guages, and the cultivation of the more abstruse sciences, became 
the fashion of the day, the art of needlework, although possessing 
so many attractions, and capable of such endless variety, would 
appear, in England at least, to have been much neglected, if we 
except some occasional intervals, when it has for a time resumed 
its former importance, paramount to all other feminine amusements. 



* At this period, in addition to the pleasing occupation of needlework, ladies 
studied Latin, Greek, Spanish, Italian and French. The " more ancient " 
among them exercised themselves, some with the needle, some with "caul 
work " (probably netting), " divers in spinning silk, some in continual reading 
either of the Scriptures or of histories, either of their own, or translating the 
works of others into Latin or English." The younger branches also applied to 
" their lutes, citharnes, and pricksongs, and all kinds of music," which were 
then understood. The preparing of confectionary was also deemed an important 
household duty for ladies ; the distillation of waters, and the acquiring some 
knowledge both in physic and surgery likewise occupied their attention ; as, 
un.tiLtJie^tLme^f Henry VIIL there had been no Ucensed practitioners in either 
of these branches of science. The mewing of sparrow hawks and merlins, 
in'ucn engaged the at'tention of the younger portion of the female sex. One 
great and* important office, however, must not be omitted, namely, the distribu- 
tion of cl^^ritable' d6li^>' by the lady of each parish or manor, poor's rates being 
then' uhlinown.— t^tiie WolmsfieU's "Ch^onule. 



IXTRODUCTIOX. 11 

In the time of Addison, its discontinuance is tKus mentioned in 
j a letter to the '• Spectator." — 

" Mr. Spectator, — 
" I have a couple of nieces under my direction, who so often 
run gadding abroad, that I don't know where to have them. 
Their dress, their tea, and their visits, take up all iheir time ; 
and they go to b3d as tir d with doing nothing, as I am after 
quilting a whole under-petticoat. The only time they are not 
idle, is while they read your 'Spectators'; which b9ing dedicated 
to the interests of virtue, I desire you to recommend the long 
neglected art af needlework. Those hours which in this age are 
thrown away in dress, play, visits, and the like, were employed, in 
my time, in writing out receipts, or working beds, chairs, and 
hangings, for the family. For my part, I have plyed my needle 
these fifty years, and by my good will would never have it 
out of my hand. It grieves my heart to see a couple of proud 
idle flirts sipping their tea, for a whole afternoon, in a room hung 
round with the industry of their great-grandmother. Pray, sir, 
take the laudable mystery of embroidery into your serious consid- 
eration, and as you have a great deal of the virtue of the last age in 
you, continue your endeavours to reform the present. 1 am, &c,," 

At the close of the last century, needlework of all kinds was 
again much in vogue. Coloured embroideries, with crewels and 
silks, in imitation of paintings, comprising all the varieties of land- 
scape and historical subjects, fruit, flowers, birds, animals, and 
shells ; these were principally worked on satin or lute-string, the faces 
and other parts of the human figure being generally painted on 
the material, as being more diflicult to embroider. Specimens of 
these are not unfrequently to be met with, in which the work is 



12 INTRODUCTION. 

most beautiful and elaborate. During the war, a great number, 
of delicate and ingenious kinds of work were done by tlie pri- 
soners and emigrants in fine silk and hair. The ornamenting and 
spangling of fans, then an absolute appendage to the dress of 
every lady, must not be forgotten. 

Besides the coloured embroideries, much skill and ingenuity 
were displayed in what was termed print-work, — a close imitation 
of line and dotted or stippled engravings. These were worked 
on white satin or silk with a fine needle, in silks of various 
gradations of tint, from black to grey, — the design being first 
drawn upon the material ; the darker parts were worked much 
closer together than the lighter or middle shades, and in those 
imitating dotted engravings the stitches were extremely small : the 
whole art consisted in representing as closely as possible the lines 
of the engraver, — a work, however, which required both skill 
and patience to produce the beautiful effects which we sometimes 
see in these pieces. When fine engravings were copied, the 
stitches more closely resembled those of the usual embroideries, 
but were kept wider apart, so as to imitate the black and white 
lines of the engraver. This species of work was peculiarly 
adapted for representing architectural subjects. In addition to the 
above, numerous different kinds of needlework were practised, but 
the mere enumeration of these would be productive of but little 
benefit, as most of them have long since given place to others of 
a superior description. 

In a work of this kind, a "Hand-book" of the present state 
of needlework, and of the best means we possess of bringing it to 
perfection, it is scarcely necessary that we should enter more fully 
into the early history of the art. This has already been so ably 
and successfully done under the auspices of the Countess of 
AVilton, and withal, in so entertaining a manner, accompanied with 



INTRODUCTION. 13 

such deep research, as to leave no stone unturned, or any want 
upon the subject. In all ages needlework has been applied to 
the same purposes, either for the adornment of the person, or the 
decoration of the mansions of the wealthy. For such did the 
maidens of Egypt ply the needle; and again, in after times, those 
of Greece and Rome ;* yet be it remembered that they also 
occupied themselves with the then equally feminine labours of 
the distaff and spindle, and with the more toilsome mysteries of 
the loom, at which they were preeminently skilful, as is fully 
proved by the remains of ancient textures, which the researches of 
modern travellers have brought to light. 

It is scarcely to be imagined that any needlework, either of 
ancient or modern times, has ever surpassed the celebrated 
productions of Miss Linwood. This lady, who is now in her 
eighty-seventh year, commenced her labours when only thirteen 
years old ; her last piece she completed at the age of seventy- 
eight. The works of this accomplished artist are executed on a 
thick kind of tammy, woven expressly for her use, with fine crewels, 
dyed under her own superintendence ; they are entirely drawn and 
embroidered by herself, no background or other unimportant parts 
being put in by a less skilful hand, the only assistance she 
received, if indeed it may be called such, was in the threading of 
her needles. In her collection, still exhibited in Leicester-square, 
London, is her first piece, the Head of St. Peter, a copy from 
Guido.f The " Salvator Mundi," from Carlo Dolci, has generally 
been considered the finest production of her needle, for which we 
are informed she refused the sum of three thousand guineas. 

* In the simplest days of Greece, those occupations were not deemeif unsuit- 
able to palaces : nor did a princess degrade her dignity by superintending the 
labours of the loom, the distaff, and the dyeing vat. 

t Marked No. 24 in the Cataloijue. 



14 INTRODUCTION. 

" To raise at once our reverence and delight, 
To elevate the mind and charm the sight, 
To pour religion through th' attentive eye, 
And waft the soul on wings of extacy ; 
For this the mimic art with nature vies, 
And bids the visionary form arise." 

The " Wocdman in a Storm," from Gainsborough, and "Jep- 
tha's rash Vow," from Opie, also rank among her best. Her last 
production is the " Judgment upon Cain," one of the larg^est 
pictures in the gallery. 

"And the Lord said unto Cain, 'Where is Abel thy brother!' And he 
said, ' I know not : am I my brother's keeper 1 " 

" And he said, ' What hast thou done ] The voice of thy brothers blood 
crieth unto me from the ground. 

" ' And now art thou cursed from the earth which hath opened her mouth 
to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand. 

" ' When thou tillest the ground it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her 
strength ; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.' 

" And Cain said unto the Lord, ' Mij puniskment is greater than I can hearP 

The whole collection consists of sixty-four pieces, including a 
portrait of Miss Linwood herself, from a painting by Russell. 

Within the last few years, ornamental needlework has again 
attracted considerable attention, and although the modern style 
of the art may as yet be considered in its infancy, it has already 
so far progressed as infinitely to surpass the labours of the ingen- 
ious women of bygone times. Needlexvork may be regarded (if we 
may be allowed the expression) as the sister art of painting ; the 
aim of the accomplished needlewoman of the present day, being 
to produce as true a picture of nature as possible ; soaring far 
beyond the common-pbce ideas of the ancient embroideries, which, 
perhaps, are more to be admired for the richness of their materials, 
and the labour bestowed upon them, than for any merit they possess 
as works of art. We would wish to see the needle and embroidery 



INTRODUCTION. 15 

frame rescued from any doubt as to their utility, or their capa- 
bility of taking a higher stand among the more elegant of female 
accomplishments,— and worthy of occupying the elevated position 
in which the talent of Miss Linwood has placed them. 

It will, perhaps, be urged by some, that needlework, as practised 
at the present time, is but a mechanical art ; and the recent 
invention of Berlin patterns may somewhat favour the opinion, 
This, however, we entirely disown, — no one, who regards the work 
of the mere copyist of these designs, (as commonly done for sale 
in Germany, where neither taste nor judgment are displayed in 
the selection of the colours, nor skill in the appropriation of them) 
can compare it with that of the talented needlewoman, who, even 
though she may have worked stitch for stitch from the same 
pattern, produces what may be justly termed — a " painting with 
the needle."* 

No feminine art affords greater scope for the display of taste 
and ingenuity than that of needlework. The endless variety of 
form which it assumes under the various denominations of tapestry 
work, — as gros point, petit point, and point de Gobelin, — in that 
of embroidery ; — and again in the apparently intricate, but really 
easy, mazes of tricot, filet, and crochet, — each in their turn serving 
as graceful occupations for the young, and an inexhaustible source 
of amusement for those in a more advanced period of life ; more 
particularly the latter descriptions of work, as these can be, and 



♦ All descriptions of canvas work have undergone great improvement within 
the last few years. Even so recently as 1821), they were dismissed with the 
following brief account, in a work dedicated to the pursuits of young ladies. 
"Worsted- work, on canvas, is a subordinate description of embroidery. It is 
applied to the production of rugs for urns, covers of ottomans, bell-pulls, and 
many other elegant articles. The outline of the pattern U sketched with a pen, 
on canvas, strained in the middle of a frame." — ! ! 



16 INTRODUCTION. 

are frequently, practised by persons even when labouring under 
deprivation of sight. It has opportunely been observed by Mrs. 
Griffiths, " that the great variety of needleworks which the in- 
genious women of other countries, as well as our own, have 
invented, will furnish us with constant and amusing employment; 
and though our labours may not equal a Mineron's or an Ayles- 
bury's, yet, if they unbend the mind, by fixing its attention on 
the progress of any elegant or imitative art, they answer the 
purpose of domestic amusement ; and, when the higher duties of 
our situation do not call forth our exertions, we may feel 
the satisfaction of knowing that we are, at least, innocently 
employed."* 

In conclusion, to quote the words of John Taylor, the water 
poet, it may be said, — 

"Thus is a needle prov'd an instrument 
Of profit, pleasure, and of ornament, 
"Which mighty queenes have grac'd in hand to take. 

♦ Essays, p. 05. 



CHAPTER II 



^apestrs. 



" This bright art 
Did zealous Europe learn of Pagan hands, 
While she assay 'd with rage of holy war 
To desolate their fields : but old the skill : 
L.ong were the Phrygians' pict'ring looms renown'd ; 
Tyre also, wealthy seat of art, excell'd, 
And elder Sidon, in th' historic web." 

Dyer. 

*' For round about the walls yclothed were 
With goodly arras of great maiesty, 
Woven with gold and silke so close and nere 
That the rich metall lurked privily 
As faining to be hid from envious eye; 
Yet here, and there, and everywhere, unwares 
It shewd itselfe and shone unwilUngly ; 
Like a discolourd snake, whose hidden snares 
Through the greene gras his long bright burnisht back declares,' 

Faery GIueene. 



HE last quotation forms part of the description, 
given by Spenser, of the beautiful tapestry 
which Britomart saw in one of the apartments 
of the house of Busyrane ; and the poet had 
probably in view the actual specimens of tap- 
estry then frequently to be seen in the principal mansions of the 
nobility in England. 




18 TAPESTRY. 

The decoration of the walls of palaces with tapestry, appears 

to have been a custoni practised even in the earliest ages. 

Homer says — 

" The walls, through all their length, adorn'd 

With mantles overspread of subtlest warp 
Transparent, work of many a female hand." 

The mode of building adopted by the ancients, and even in 
more recent times, in the baronial castles in England, rendered 
such a mode of decoration, or, at least, some description of 
lining for the walls, absolutely necessary : and although the 
term tapestry is* now generally restricted to one species of 
fabric, — such as that produced at the " Manufacture Koyale des 
Gobelins," and at Beauvais, — yet it was formerly applicable to 
all kinds of ornamental hangings for the walls of apartments ; 
and these, before the loom was employed to furnish a similar 
article with less labour and expense, were generally the needle- 
work of female hands.* 

Tapestries were known among the inhabitants of eastern 
countries at an extremely remote era, from whence they were 
introduced into Greece and Rome. The invention of the art, 
like all other kinds of needlework, has generally been attri- 
buted to the Phrygians : the women of Sidon, long before 
the Trojan war, were celebrated for their tapestries and 
embroideries ; and those of Phceacia, the island on which Ulysses 
was wrecked, were, according to Homer, equally noted. 

" Far as Phaeacian mariners all else 
Surpass, the swift ship urging through the floods, 
So far in tissue-work the women pass 
AW others, by Minerva's skill endow'd 
With richest fancy and superior skill." 



* The term Tapestry comes from the French, whence it is derived from 
the Latin word 'i\q)^s or Tapde which again comes from the Greek rdzrji 



TAPESTRY. 19 

It is supposed by Bottiger, that the Greeks took their ideas 
of griffins and centaurs from the grotesque compositions and 
fantastic combinations selected for the display of the talents of 
the needlewomen in this department of oriental art. The refined 
taste of the Athenians, however, soon became visible in the 
design of their tapestry ; and these unnatural combinations no 
longer covered the whole surface of the work, but were con- 
fined to the borders onl^T-^ while the centres received more 
regular and systematic representations. 

It is narrated that Arachne, a woman of Colyphon, daughter 
of Idmon, a dyer, was so skilful in working these tapestries 
with the needle, that she challenged Minerva, the goddess of 
the art, to a trial of skill. She represented in her designs the 
amours of Jupiter with Europa, Antiope, Leda, Asteria, Danae, and 
Alcmene ; and although it is reported that her performance was per- 
fect and masterly, yet she was defeated by Minerva, and hanging 
herself in despair, was changed into a spider by the goddess.* 

After the fall of the Roman empire, the art of working- 
tapestry appears to have been lost in Europe, until it was 
again introduced, as is supposed, from the Levant, by the 
Crusaders, as, with the exception of the far-famed Bayeux 
Tapestry, we find but few traces of it until that peiiod : and 
from the early manufacturers in France being called Sarazins^ 
or Sarazinois^ this opinion is considerably strengthened. 

or Ti-mg. According to the best authorities, it signified an outer garment, or 
covering of any kind, generally composed of wool, and wrought or em- 
broidered in figures with various colours, such as hangings for walls, coverlets 
for beds, or tables, or carpets, or even for' horse-cloths. The term is thus 
used in the writings of Pliny, Virgil, Martial, and other Latin authors. 

■■'= Vide Ovid's Melamo?-pJwscs, b. vi. Minerva, as the goddess of the liberal 
arts, was invoked by every artist, particularly by such as worked in wool, em- 
broidery, painting, and sculpture. In many of her statues she is represented 
holding a distaff instead of a spear. 



20 TAPESTRY. 

The first manufactories for weaving tapestry which acquired 
reputation in Europe, were those of Flanders, and they appear 
to have been long established in that country, principally at 
Arras,* before they were introduced either into England or 
France : the precise period when they were first manufactured by 
the Flemings is uncertain. Guicciardini, in his history of the 
Netherlands, published at Antwerp in 1582, ascribes to them the 
invention of tapestries, but without mentioning any particular 
date. Whether the Flemings did or did not derive their 
knowledge from the East, to them is certainly due the honour of 
having restored this curious art, which gives a life to wools and 
silks, scarcely, if at all, inferior to the paintings of the best 
masters. The weaving of tapestry was first introduced into 
England in the time of Henry VIII, by William Sheldon ; but 
it was not until the reign of James I. that it acquired any par- 
ticular reputation. This monarch greatly patronised the art, and 
gave the sum of two thousand pounds towards the advancement 
of a manufactory, which was established by Sir Francis Crane at 
Mortlake in Surrey. The patterns first used for making these 
fabrics in England were obtained from pieces which had already 
been worked by foreign artists ; but as the tapestries produced in 
this country acquired greater celebrity and perfection, the designs 
were furnished by Francis Cleyn, who was retained for that 
purpose.! There is extant in Rymer's " Fcedera,"J an ac- 
knowledgement from Charles I, that he owed Sir Francis Crane 
the sum of six thousand pounds for tapestries, and that he grants 



* From whence is derived the term '^^ arras, ^^ which we frequently meet with 
in old authors, synonymous with tapestry. Antwerp, Brussels, Oudenarde, 
Brucres, Lille, and Tournay, were also celebrated for their tapestries ; the 
latter is still noted for its carpet manufactories. 

t Walpole, vol. ii. p. 128. X Vol. xviii. p. 112. 



TAPESTRY. 21 

bim the annual sum of two thousand pounds for ten years, to 
enable him to support his establishment. 

To France, however, we are indebted for the great perfection 
to which this curious and costly art has been brought. Henri 
Quatre first established a tapestry manufactory at Paris, about 
the year 1603, which was conducted by several clever artists 
whom he had invited from Flanders ; but this, like many similar 
institutions founded by that monarch, was greatly neglected at 
his death, and would probably have been entirely so, had not 
Colbert, the minister of Louis XIV, with a view of providing 
the costly and magnificent furniture for Versailles and the Tuil- 
leries, again remodeled it upon a more secure foundation, and from 
that period the royal manufactory of the "Hotel des Gobelins" 
dates its origin. 

The working of tapestry, although a species of weaving, is, 
nevertheless, so closely allied to the achievements of the needle, 
that a brief description of the " Manufacture Royale des Gobe- 
lins " may not be considered uninteresting, or out of place in a 
treatise on the art of needlework. 

As early as the fourteenth century dyers of wool were settled 
in the Faubourg St. Marcel, at Paris, on the banks of the 
Bievre, the waters of which stream were considered as favourable 
to the process of dyeing. One of these, named Jean Gobelin, 
who lived in 1450, amassed considerable wealth, which his descen- 
dants increased, and at length renouncing the business of dyers, 
filled various offices of state. The Gobelin family were succeeded 
by Messrs. Canaye, who however did not confine their attention 
to the dyeing of wool, but under the patronage of Henry IV.* 



* Sully, the celebrated minister of Henry IV., says, — " On eut de la peine 
a convenir de prix avec ces celcbres Tapissiers Flamands, qu'on avoit fait 



22 TAPESTRY. 

commenced the working of tapestry, which until that period had 
been confined to the Low Countries. To these succeeded, in 
1655, a Dutchman, named Glucq, and one Jean Lianson, a 
workman, and a great proficient in the art. Louis XIV, at the 
suggestion of his minister, Colbert, afterwards purchased the 
buildings and gardens which were still the property of the Gobe- 
lin family, and established them as a royal manufactory. In a 
charter which was drawn up at that time, the building is called 
the " Hotel des Gobelins," from which circumstance the tapestry 
made there has ever since been known as " Gobelin Tapestry." 
Skilful artists, weavers and dyers, were brought from Flanders 
and attached to the establishment; and in 1667 the celebrated 
painter Le Brun was appointed chief director of the Gobelin 
manufactory, to which he communicated that beauty and grandeur, 
his admirable talents were so well calculated to produce. He 
here painted the famous series of the battles of Alexander, which 
were afterwards worked in tapestry, and still remain the finest 
productions of the Gobelins. The four Seasons, the four Elements, 
and the history of the principal acts of Louis XIY, from his mar- 
riage to his first conquest of Franche Comte, were also from the 
designs of this master* 

At the period of the French revolution, this manufacture, which 



venir a si grands frais. Enfin il fut conclu, en presence de Sillcry et de moi, 
qu'il leur seroit donne pour leur etablissement, cent mille francs, que Henri fut tres- 
soigneux de m'avertir de leur payer ; ' ayant, ' disoit-il, grande envie de les con- 
server, et grand peur de perdre les avances faites jusque-la. ' II auroit seulement 
bien voulu que ces manufacturiers se fussent contentes d'autres deniers, que ceux 
qu'il s'etoit reserves pour lui-meme: mais enfin a quelque prix que ce fut, il 
falloit les satisfaire." — Memoires, torn. vi. p. 371. 

* Engravings of some of these will be found in " Devises pour les Tapisse- 
ries du Roy, ou sont rcpresentez les quatre elemens et les quatre saisons de 
I'annee." fol. Paris, 1G79. 



TAPESTRY. 23 

had until then been prosecuted with various degrees of success, 
greatly declined, but under the government of Napoleon it was again 
revived, and has since been successfully carried on, although not 
to the same extent as formerly. About the year 1802 ninety per- 
sons were employed at the Gobelins, chiefly in the preparation of 
tapestry, for the palace of St. Cloud ; and it was estimated that 
150,000 francs were expended yearly on these productions. The 
pieces executed are generally historical subjects, and it occa- 
sionally requires the labour of from two to six years to finish a 
single piece of tapestry. The cost of some of these pieces is 
enormous, but the price of the different articles is regulated less 
by their size than by the beauty and difficulty of the work.* 

The productions of this manufactory, which is entirely supported 
by the government, are chiefly destined for the royal palaces, or 
for presents made by the king ; but some few pieces, not designed 
as such, are allowed to be sold. 

Connected with the establishment of the Gobelins, is one for 
the dyeing of wool, under the direction of able chemists, where 
an infinite number of shades, mostly unknown in trade, ex- 
cept for the purposes of needlework, are dyed for the tapestry. 
Wool is now exclusively used, as the colours are more permanent. 
There is also a drawing-school, in which the principles of the 
art are taught, and an annual course of lectures is delivered 
upon chemistry as applicable to dyeing. 



* Evelyn gives the follow^ing description of some Gobelin tapestry, then new 
in England, which he sav^r in the apartments of the Duchess of Portsmouth : 
" Here I saw the new fabriq of French tapissry, for designe, tendernesse of 
worke, and incomparable imitation of the best paintings, beyond anything I 
had ever beheld. Some pieces had Versailles, St. German's, and other palaces 
of the French king, with huntings, figures, and landskips, exotiq^ fowls, and all to 
the life rarely don." — Memoirs, p. 563. 



24 TAPESTRY. 

The Gobelin tapestry was formerly made in lengths or pieces, 
the width of which varied from four to eight feet; and when one 
of larger dimensions was required, several of these were sewn or 
finedrawn together with such care that no seams were discernible. 
At the present day, however, they are manufactured of much 
greater widths, so that they seldom require to be joined even in 
the largest pieces. 

Two methods were formerly practised in the manufacture of 
tapestry, known as those of the '■'■ basse lisse^'' and the " haute lisse ; " 
in the first, or low warp, which is now relinquished, the loom 
was placed horizontally, similar to common weaving, the painting 
intended to be wrought being beneath the warp ; and the process 
was very remarkable, from the fact of the tapestry being worked on 
the wrong side, so that the artist could not see the face of the design 
he was weaving, until the whole piece was finished and taken out 
of the frame. In the '■^ haute llssej'^ or high warp, which is still 
used, the frame is fixed perpendicularly before the artist ; he also 
works, as it were blindfold, seeing nothing of the effect he pro- 
duces, and being obliged to go to the other side of the loom 
whenever he wishes to examine the piece he is executing. The 
following brief description of the mode at present practised at the 
Gobelins, may perhaps convey some idea of the manufacture to 
those who have not visited this most interesting establishment. 

The frame or loom is formed of two upright pieces, at the top 
and bottom of which, two large rollers are fixed horizontally : to 
these rollers are fastened the longitudinal threads, or warp, com- 
posed of twisted wool, wound on the upper roller, the work, as it 
is executed, being gradually wound round the lower. On the 
inner side of the upright pieces, several contrivances (here 
unnecessary to describe) are placed at different points, for 
separating these threads more or less from one another, in order 



TAPESTRY. 25 

to admit the cross threads or warp, which are to form the picture. 

" to whose fair colour'd threads 

Hang figur'd weights, whose various numbers guide 
The artist's hand : he, unseen flowers, and trees, 
And vales, and azure hills, unerring works." 

As a sort of guide for the artist to introduce the cross threads 
in their proper places, he traces an outline of his subject on the 
threads of his warp in front, which are sufficiently open to 
enable him to see the painting behind it. 

For working the tapestry three instruments are required, — a 
broach, a reed or comb, and an iron needle. The first is formed 
of hard wood, about seven or eight inches in length, and two- 
thirds of an inch thick, ending in a point with a small handle, 
round which the wool is wound, and serving the same purpose 
as the weaver's shuttle. The reed is also of wood, eight or nine 
inches long, and an inch thick at the back, whence it gradually 
decreases to the extremity of the teeth, which are more or less 
divided, according to the greater or less degree of fineness of 
the intended work. The needle is in shape similar to a common 
needle, but much larger and longer; it is used to press close 
the wool, when there is any line or colour that does not set 
well. The artist places himself behind the frame, with his back 
towards the cartoon or picture he is about to copy ; he first 
turns and looks at his design, then taking a broach of the 
proper colour he places it among the threads of the warp, which 
he brings across each other with his fingers, by means of 
the coats or threads fastened to the staff; this he repeats every 
time it is necessary to change his colour. Having placed the 
wool, he beats it with his reed ; and when he has thus wrought 
several rows, he passes to the other side to see their effect, and 
to properly adjust them with his needle, should there be occasion. 



26 TAPESTRY. 

As tapestry, however, of this description, is not the work of 
ladies, it would be tedious for ns to enter more upon the STibject ; 
for although in this — "• the age of renaissance' — it is the fashion 
to work panels for rooms, and hangings for beds, yet we do not 
entirely agree with the '= Spectator/' when he says. •• how memo- 
rable would that matron be. who should have it inscribed on her 
monument, "that she wrought out the whole Bible in tapestry, 
and died in a good old age, after having covered three hundred 
yards of wall in the mansion house.' "* 



* The Cartoons of Raflaelle, which have been justly called " the glory of 
England, and the envy of ail other polite nations,"'" were painted for the 
express purpose of being wrought in tapestry. There were originally 
twenty-five of these sacred historical designs, but seven only now remain. 
They were executed under the auspices of pope Julius II. and Leo X. 
at the time that Rafifaelle was engaged in the chambers of the Vatican. 
The whole of them were sent to Flanders to be worked in tapestry, to 
adorn the pontifical apartments. The tapestries were not sent to Rome until 
after the death of this great master, and the cartoons, which were greatly 
damaged by being cut into strips by the weavers, lay neglected in the store- 
rooms of the manufactory ; where, during the revolution which soon after 
happened in the low countries, most of them were destroyed. The seven 
which now adorn the gallery at Hampton Court were purchased by Rubens 
for Charles I. These cartoons fortunately escaped being sold in the royal 
collection by the disproportionate appraisement of them at £300, while the nine 
representing the triumph of Julius CfEsar, by Andrea Mantegna, were valued 
at £1000. 

For an account of the more celebrated ancient tapestries on the continent, 
we refer our readers to M. Achille Jubinal's splendid work, Lcs Anciennes 
Tapisscries His'oriees. In England, the tapestry preserved in St. Mary's Hall, 
at Coventry, although much mutilated, is well worthy of careful examination. 
The finest ancient tapestries in existence are doubtless those at Hampton Court, 
which are supposed to have been presented to Cardinal Wolsey by the em- 
peror Charles V ; an interesting Sescription of these will be found in Mr. Jesse's 
entertaining little work, A Summer's Day at Hampton Court. 



CHAPTER III. 



MatcxialB in (5cncxal 



"From fertile France, and pleasant Italy ^ 
From Poland, Sweden, Denmarke, Germany, 
And some of these rare Patternes haue beene fefc 
Beyond the bounds of faithlesse Mahomet: 
From spacious China, and those Kingdomes East, 
And from great Mexico, the Indies West. 
Thus are these workes farrefetcht and dearely bought, 
And consequently good for Ladies thought." 

John Taylor. 

HE products of the animal, the vegetable, and 
the mineral kingdom, are called into requisition 
for the service of the needlewoman : — the east 
and the west are alike laid under contribution 
for the various articles which she employs. 
Silk, wool, cotton, flax, and hemp, and even the precious metals, 
— gold and silver, are formed and tw^isted into various threads to 
serve her dijBPerent purposes. Nor have the shells of the ocean 
escaped her notice, as witness the splendid works in nacre^ of 
which the stamped quill work, or ecaille (as it has been improperly 
termed,) is an imitation. The feathers of birds, the scales of fishes, 
the wing cases of insects, and insects themselves ; the barks of 
trees, the skins of serpents, furs, mosses, straw, grass, seaweeds, 




28 MATERIALS IN GENERAL. 

and precious stones, and even the hair of the fair embroideress 
herself, have, each in their turn, furnished her materials wherewith 
to exercise her ingenuity.* 

The needlework of the present day is indebted for its attraction 
more to the skill and talent displayed by the artist, than to any 
false beauty it may borrow from the materials employed ; and, 
however much we may admire the adaptation of outre and 
bizarre objects in some of its branches, yet let us remember 
that the true intention of the art is to. copy nature, not to 
distort her : — and that needlework executed with the rudest 
and most simple materials, may surpass that with the most 
costly. The materials used by a Linwood are within the reach 
of every one, but the skill shown in the employment of them 
is that of the artist alone. 

Since the time when Miss Linwood executed her " paintingSj^ 
greater facilities have been given for the pursuit of needlework 
than she could possibly have possessed. The variety of colours, 
their beauty and brilliancy, both in silks and wools, owing to 
our improved knowledge of dyeing, the introduction of coloured- 
paper patterns, all contribute towards the perfection of an art, 
above every other, consecrated to female talent. Our object 
in the present treatise, however, is not to enter into a description 
of the different articles which have been used at various times 
for the purposes of needlework, nor the method of employing them ; 
— those of the most appropriate kind will suffice for our purpose, 
— and ample details of these, their qualities and uses, and the 
occasions on which they may be most advantageously rendered 



* Three German ladies, in Hanover, named "VYylich, in 1782, invented a 
mode of embroiderina with human hair. 



TAPESTRYo 29 

subservient, will be found in tbe following chapters, under their 
respective heads. 

In describing the principal materials employed in needlework at 
the present day, we must not overlook the equally essential 
requisites, — the instruments wherewith we are to use them: — an 
account of which will be found under the general head of " imple- 
ments" where, we have endeavoured, — as far as lay in our power, 
— to guide the inexperienced, in selecting with judgment those 
best adapted for facilitating their labours. 

With the exception of canvas, it will not be necessary for us 
to describe the materials upon which the different works are to be 
executed. The mere mention of these in their respective places 
will oe sunicient, — whether cloth, silk, or 

" satin smooth, 
Or velvet soft, or plush, with shaggy pile." 



CHAPTER IV. 



toool, 



" Still shall o'er all prevail the shepherd's stores, 
For numerous uses known; none yield such warmth,*' 
Such beauteous hues receive, so long endure ; 
So pliant to the loom, so various, none." 

Dyer. 

" In the same fleece diversity of wool 
Grows intermingled, and excites the care 
Of curious skill to sort the sev'ral kinds." 

Ibid. 



^ OOL, from the frequency of its employment 

in needlework, becomes the most important of 

those materials whereupon we have to treat. 

The readiness with which it takes and perma- 

h nently retains the most splendid colours that the 

art of the dyer is capable of imparting, renders 

it superior to every other : it is essential, therefore, that we enter 

fully into a description of its various qualities and uses. 

Wool is the soft filamentous substance which covers the skins 
of some animals, more particularly those of the sheep; the term 
— which is not very well defined, and is rather arbitrary than 
natural — has been applied alike to the soft hair of the beaver, 




WOOL. 31 

the goats of Thibet and of Cachemir, and to that of the llama 
and ostrich, and even to fine vegetable fibres, such as cotton: 
" The trees of Ethiopia, white with soft wool."* 

Sheep's wool appears to be the product of cultivation : on the 
wild mouflon {ovls aries) — to which genus all the varieties of 
the domestic sheep have been traced, and which is still found in 
a wild state upon the mountains of Sardinia, Corsica, Barbary, 
Greece, and Asia Minor, — the wool is a coarse hairy substance, 
mixed with soft down close to the skin. When the animal is 
placed in a temperate climate, under the fostering care of man, 
and protected from the inclemencies of the weather, the coarse 
fibres gradually disappear, while the soft wool round their roots 
becomes singularly developed. The domestic culture of the sheep, 
for the sake of its wool, has long occupied the attention of civil- 
ized nations, and has produced the highly-valued merinof species, 
from which our best wool is now procured. 

Sheep's wool of good quality is never found except in those 
countries that have been the seats of the arts, and where a consider- 
able degree of luxury and refinement exist, or have once prevailed. 
The history of its cultivation and preparation, like most of the 
useful arts of ancient date, is involved in uncertainty. The 
Greeks attribute the invention of spinning and weaving wool to 
Minerva : it is, however, supposed to be of Asiatic origin, and is 



* Virgil, Georg. ii. 1. 120. Herodotus uses the term '^ tree 7rooV^ to denote 
cotton, 1. iii. c. 47. Julius PoHux, also, in his Ofiomasticon, 1. vii. c. 17 so 
denominates it. 

•f The terra merino, in the Spanish language, is derived from the corrupt 
Latin merinus or raajorinus. At the period when the transhumantes, or travel- 
ling flecks in Fpain, v/ere established, they became the object of police, and 
were placed under the exclusive jurisdiction of mayors, with public walks and 
large districts allotted for their sustenance, and were termed merinos ovcjas, 
or the sheep under the care of the merino or mayor. 



32 WOOL 

referred to by Moses,* whicli proves it to have existed at least 
fifteen hundred years before the Christian era. The discovery 
of the wheel and spindle is also veiled in obscurity, but they were 
obviously used in the most remote ages. In the infancy of the 
art of weaving, and for many centuries after, the working of 
cloth was merely a domestic occupation, principally of women: 
the fleece was gathered from the sheep, washed, opened, spun, and 
wove under the same roof which witnessed the preparation and 
grinding of corn.f 

In proportion as society advanced, and a division of labour 
became convenient, an improved knowledge was acquired, not 
only of spinning and weaving, but in that of breeding and select- 
ing those animals, whether sheep or goats, which gave the finest 



* Exodus, XXXV. 25, 26. The Egyptians, from a most remote era, were 
celebrated for their manufactures of linen and other cloths ; and the produce of 
their looms was exported to, and eagerly purchased by, foreign nations. The fine 
linen, and embroidered work, the yarn and woolbn stuffs of the upper and 
lower country, are frequently mentioned, and were highly esteemed. Solomon 
purchased many of these commodities, as well as chariots and horses, from 
Egypt : and Chemmis, the city of Pan, according to Strabo (lib. xvii.) retained 
the credit it had acquired in making woollen stuffs, nearly till the period of 
the Roman conquest. In Egypt, woollen garments were chiefly used by the 
lower orders ; sometimes also by the rich, and even by the priests, who were 
permitted to wear an upper robe in the form of a cloak of this material, 
but under-garments of wool were strictly forbidden them, upon a principle of 
cleanliness ; and as they took so much pains to cleanse and shave the body, they 
considered it inconsistent to adopt clothes made of the hair of animals. Hero- 
dotus (1. ii. c. 81) says, that no one was allowed to be buried in a woollen 
garment ; nor could any priest enter a temple without previously talcing off 
this part of his dress. Vide Wilkinson's Ancient Egyp'Aa^is. 

t In the primitive ages, the duties of women were very different from those 
of a later and more civilized period. Among pastoral tribes, they drew water, 
kept the sheep, and superintended the herds as well as flocks. As with the Arabs 
of the present day, they prepared both the furniture and the woollen stuffs, of 
which the tents themselves were made ; and, like the Greek women, they were 
generally employed in weaving, spinning, and other sedentary occupations. 



WOOL. 33 

fleeces. The produce of white wool from sheep is said to be 
entirely the result of cultivation, and is unknown in those 
countries where it is not employed as an object of manufacture or 
commerce. We may imagine that in the earliest state of the 
woollen manufacture, when cloth was merely a substitute for the 
skins of beasts as an article of clothing, little attention was paid 
to the colour or fineness of the wool ; but as luxuries were intro- 
duced, coloured garments were required, and the wool could no 
longer be indifferently taken from sheep of every kind, whether 
white, brown, or black. The grower, therefore, began to pay 
more particular attention to the whiteness of his fleece, which 
was essential to render the cloth susceptible of the brilliant dyes, 
which, even in a very remote period, were certainly given to it. 

"In oldest times, when kings and hardy chiefs 
In bleating sheepfolds met, for purest wool 
Phoenicia's hilly tracts were most renown'd, 
And fertile Syria's and Judaea's land, 
Hermon, and Seir, and Hebron's brooky sides. 
Twice with the murex, crimson hue, they ting'd 
The shining fleeces — hence their gorgeous wealth; 
And hence arose the walls of ancient Tyre." 

German wool, unquestionably the finest description of sheep's 
wcol which we possess, is the produce of the fleece of the merino 
breed in their highest state of cultivation, from the flocks of 
Saxony and the neighbouring German states. As prepared for 
needle work it is manufactured at Gotha,* from whence it is for- 
warded to Berlin and other parts of Germany to be dyed. 



* Gotha, the capital of the duchy of Saxe-Gotha, and alternately with 
Goburg the residence of the duke of Saxe-Coburg, father of Prince Albert. 
The duke has a fine palace here called Friedenstine, containing a picture gal- 
lery, library, and a Chinese and Japanese museum, besides one of the finest 
collections of coins and medals in Europe. The Almanaxh de Gotha, is 
printed here. 



34 WOOL. 

To the late king of Saxony, when elector, is due the merit of 
having first introduced the Spanish breed of merino sheep into 
Germany, and the valuable trade in fine wool has since been 
transferred almost wholly from the Spanish to the German soil. 
The flocks were brought into his dominions in the year 1765, and 
again in 1778, and were chosen for the elector from the finest of 
those in Spain ; they were placed under the care of a Spanish 
" majorinus^^ or mayor, at Stolpen, seven leagues from Dresden, 
on the frontiers of Bohemia. From this period until 1814 these 
flocks were gradually spreading themselves throughout the king- 
dom of Saxony, and Avhen the continental trade was entirely 
thrown open by the events of 1815, the Saxon wool dealers 
began to embark in a regular trade with England in their fleeces, 
and they soon discovered the real value of this new branch of 
German commerce.* 

The improvement both in fineness and softness in the quality 
of wool, from the German flocks, over those of Spain, is consider- 
able. The harshness of the wool does not depend solely upon the 
breed of the animal, or the climate, but is owing to certain pecu- 
liarities in the pasture. It is known, that in sheep fed upon 
chalky districts, wool is apt to get coarse ; but in those fed upon 
a richer soil it becomes soft and silky. The scorching sun of 
Spain renders the fleece of the merino breed harsher than it is in 
the milder climate of Saxony. The great quantity of grease, or 
yolk (as it is technically termed), which is much more abundant 



* For an interesting account of the finer description of sheep and wool, 
vide " Mittheilungen des interessantesten und neuesten aus dein Gebiet der 
hohern SchafT und Woolkunde," Von Bernhard Petri, Wien, 1829 ; — also, " His- 
toire de I'Introduction des Moutons a laine fine d'Espagne dans les divers 
etats de I'Europe," par M. C. P Lasteyrie, Paris, 1802. 



WOOL. 35 

in the wool of the merino breed of sheep, is also, doubtless, one 
of the great causes of its superiority.* 

There are four distinct qualities of wool in the fleece of the 
same animal ; the finest growing along the spine from the neck, 
to within six inches of the tail ; including one third of the 
breadth of the back: the second covers the flanks and the shoulders; 
and the third, the neck and hinder parts ; and the coarsest 
the breast to the feet. These it is the office of the wool 
sorter to separate, which he generally does immediately after 
shearing. The best wool is that shorn from the sheep at the 
proper seasons ; that which is taken from the skin after death 
is inferior. V/ools again differ from each other not only accord- 
ing to their coarseness and fineness, but also in the length of their 
filaments. Long, or combing wool, varies in length from three to 
eight inches ; it is treated on a comb with long steel teeth, which 
opens the fibres, and arranges them horizontally like locks of 
flax ; such wool when woven is unfit for felting. Short, or cloth- 
ing wool, varies in the length of its staple from three to four 
inches ; if longer, as is the case with the best Saxon wool, it is 
broken down by carding, to adapt it to the subsequent operation 
of felting, where the fibres are convoluted or matted together. 

It is only within the last few years (in fact since the introduc- 
tion of coloured paper patterns) that German wool has been used 
for the purposes of needlework : previously to that time our only 
resources, with the exception of silk, were English lambswools, 
worsteds, and crewels. The beauty of German wools and the 



* The merino breed of sheep has been carried to New South Wales and 
Van Dieman's Land, from whence, of late years, great quantities of wool have 
been exported. /lustralia promises, at no distant period, to be one of the 
principal wool growing countries in the world, and to outrival Saxony in the 
fineness and superiority of its fleeces. 



36 WOOL. 

perfection to which the " science^^ of dyeing them has been 
brought, is an era in the annals of our art; and has, together 
with the invention of Berlin patterns, contributed in rendering it 
a more enticing and facile amusement than when Helen 

" Guided by love, 
O'er the stretch'd sampler's canvas plain, 
In broidery's various colours strove 
To raise his form to life again." 

All kinds of wool are more or less characterised by a degree 
of harshness when compared to the " Zephyr Merino.''^ the fine- 
ness, softness, and flexibility of the fibre of which renders it 
decidedly superior for all kinds of tapestry work with the 
needle, and embroidery in wool, especially where great numbers 
of colours are required. We shall now proceed more particularly 
to notice — 



GERMAN WOOL. 

German wool, or, as it is termed by the wool staplers of 
Germany, Zephyr merino, is prepared of various sizes. That 
commonly known as "Berlin" or "German wool," is adapted for 
working all kinds of Berlin patterns ; and from the manner in 
which it is skeined, or notted, in small quantities, it is rendered 
the most convenient, and, comparatively speaking the least expen- 
sive description of wool for this purpose ; — recommendations 
sufficient, were they not more fully enhanced by the unequalled 
brilliancy and variety of shades in w^hich it is dyed, and its 
above-mentioned superior qualities. This wool may be split and 
worked on the finest canvas, and also doubled and trebled on 
the coarsest: its beauty, however, can be best appreciated when 
worked in a single thread on a canvas suited to its size, where 



WOOL. 37 

it should form an even and uniform surface of pearly stitches, 
thoroughly covering the threads of the canvas, yet not 
so tightly ranked as to be deprived of its beautiful elastic 
appearance. 

Like every other material, German wool requires to be well 
understood as to its qualities and capabilities, in order to pro- 
duce that degree of excellence which it is the wish of the 
needlewoman to accomplish. When worked on cloth, either 
with a canvas over the cloth, or an embroidery, it should be 
used with a needle sufficiently large to form a passage through 
which the wool may pass without " dragging." It is applicable 
for working flowers, figures, and every description of work in 
imitation of paintings ; also, for fine crochet, knitting, and 
netting. When of the best quality, German wool should 
retain but little of the smell of the dye ; it should be soft 
and curly in its texture, and round in its make, and free 
from all particles of vegetable or mineral substances which 
may have been used in its dyeing. This wool should not be 
wound, as, by being compressed, it may be partially deprived 
of its elasticity. 

A quantity of German wool is brought into Great Britain 
in a raw state, where it is combed, spun, and dyed ; the greater 
part undergoes these processes in Scotland. Some of this 
wool is equal to that imported in a manufactured state, for 
the purposes of needlework, from Germany ; but the dye is 
generally very imperfect and perishable, except the blacks, which 
are certainly much cleaner — an important desideratum in needle- 
work. The best German wools, and those which command the 
highest prices, are dyed in Germany, and imported into 
England ready skeined for use. Great quantities, however, of 
German wool, manufactured in this country, and also of very 



38 WOOL. 

inferior wool imported from Germany, are daily sold , and it 
requires the eye of an experienced person to detect them.* 

Much more might be said as to the qualities and dyeing of 
these wools : but it remains with the " sorter ^^ or selector of 
colours for working, to give them their final lustre, by the 
knowledge and care bestowed upon their choice, and the proper 
appropriation of them, each to their several purposes : and, like 
the colours on the painter's palette, in mixing the various shades 
so delicately, that they shall seem but as one ; carefully avoiding 
all harshness, yet, by contrast, giving a proper spirit to the whole ; 
and, above all, avoiding that gaudiness of colouring, and glaring 
want of taste, so generally exhibited in the coloured-paper patterns 
of Berlin, and which are but too frequently complained of in the 
productions of the needle, f 

ENGLISH WOOL. 



" If any wool peculiar to our isle 
Is giv'n by nature, 'tis the comber's lock, 
The soft, snow-vvhite, and the long grown flake." 

Dyer. 



* The importations of German wool into this country were quite trifling 
during the war, amounting in 1812, to only twenty-eight pounds ; but since the 
peace, they have increased beyond all precedent. In 1814, they amounted to 
nearly three and a half miUions of pounds ; in 1820, they were above five 
millions of pounds ; and, in 1S25, they reached the enormous amount of nearly 
twenty-nine millions of pounds ; this, however, was u, year of overtrading, and 
they declined, m 18>?3, to about ten and a half millions of pounds. They have 
since, however, recovered from this depression ; and, in 1833, the imports 
amounted to nearly twenty-five and a half millions of pounds. These important 
statistical fact i, although they have no reference to the subject of the consump- 
tion of wool for the purpose of needlework, nevertheless show the high estimation 
in which the German wool is held by our manufacturers. 

t German wool is prohibited in France: it is not long since, that the police, 
at Paris, made seizures of considerable quantities in several of the warehouses. 



WOOL. 39 

English lambswool, or embroidery wool, thougli much harsher 
than the preceding, yet retains its superior qualifications. The 
dye of scarlet lambswool is quite equal to that of the German, 
as are also several of the shades of blue, green, and gold colours 
browns, clarets, and some neutral tints. On coarse canvas, either 
for tent, or cross stitch, it is decidedly preferable, both in working, 
and in appearance when finished. It may be sometimes used in 
the same piece of work with German wool ; such as, for instance, 
in needlework for carpets, large chairs, sofas, ottomans, &c. the 
gold colours, scarlets, olives, and some of the blues, as also the 
grounding, may be superiorly worked in English wool, whilst the 
whites, greys, pinks, lilacs, &c. may be introduced in German 
wool. 

For grounding, English wool is generally preferable to the 
German, as being more durable, and less apt to soil ; nor is it 
impoverished by brushing like the latter. If good, English wool 
is cleaner in the dye of the darker colours ; and has, also, 
another recommendation, — that of being more economical. 

WORSTED. 

*' The grain of brightest tincture none so well 
Imbibes ; the wealthy Gobelins must to this 
Bear witness, and the costliest of their loom." — Dyer. 

Worsted is a still harsher description of English wool, manu- 
factured from the coarser parts of the fleece, but it is capable of 
taking a very fine dye, and may be advantageously used for 
working carpets and rugs. If it be good, and well dyed, it has 
a more glossy appearance than the other descriptions of wool. It 
is much cheaper than either German or English lambswool, and 
is the best and only proper material for making the raised 



40 WOOL. 

borders of urn-rugs, and the various kinds of patterns and 
borders in moss and rouleau, &c. ; it being, from the length of 
its filaments, greatly improved by combing, assuming that downy 
appearance which distinguishes a well-finished rug border. 

Worsteds,* though so little used in needlework at the present 
day, were formerly the principal materials employed both for 
tapestry and embroidery. For these purposes, they were much 
in vogue in the latter part of the last century, under the form 
of crewels, a fine description of worsted, tightly twisted like 
netting silks. The poet Cowper has immortalized their use, in 
" The Sofa," where he says : 

" here and there a tuft of crimson yam, 
Or scarlet creicel." 

The whole of the beautiful works executed by the celebrated 
Miss Linwood, are in worsted, the dyeing of which was an object 
of her especial care. Yarn is a still coarser description of 
worsted. It is used for making nets for fruit trees, and other 
similar purposes. It may be prettily applied, when cut into 
short lengths, and knit with coarse cotton, or fine twine, for 
carriage-rugs, mats, &c. 

FLEECY. 

"Leicestrian fleeces, what the sinewy arm 
Combs through the spiky steel in lengthen'd flakes." 

Dyer. 



* Worsted, in Norfolk, was formerly a place of much celebrity, and of con- 
siderable trade, but is now greatly on the decline ; it is chiefly remarkable for 
the invention, or first twisting, of that sort of woollen yarn or thread, which 
hence obtained the name of wors'ed. This manufacture is mentioned in the 
second year of the reign of Edward III., when the weavers and workers of 
worsted stuffs were required by parliament to work them in a better manner 
than they had formerly done. 



WOOL. 41 

Fleecy is another description of wool, principally grown and 
manufactured in Leicestershire, for which this county has long 
been celebrated. 

" Rich Leicestria's marly plains, for length 
Of whitest locks and magnitude of fleece 
Peculiar." 

It is naile of two qualities, superfine and common ; they both 
vary ir size from an eighth to a quarter of an inch in diameter, 
according to the number of threads they contain ; thus, there 
are two, three, four, six, up to twelve threads, fleecy. Those in 
common use are from three to six threads. They are all equally 
good and useful for crochet, knitting, netting, &c. according to the 
purposes for which the work is designed. 

HAMBURGH WOOL. 

Hamburgh wool so called, or German worsted, is a common kind 
of wool, usually containing four threads, but is made as thick as 
to contain twelve threads : it is very brilliant in colour, and 
glossy, and for working on coarse canvas is extremely good. It 
is, however, difficult to be procured in all shades ; and, hitherto, 
has not been much imported into this country. An imitation of 
this wool has been made, and much sold in England, under the 
name of Hamburgh worsted, but it does not possess any of the 
merits of the real Hamburgh wool, except its size. 

GERMAN FLEECY. 

German, or merino fleecy, is but little used or known in Eng- 
land. It possesses a decided superiority over the English, both 
in appearance, and pleasantness for use : the colours like the 



42 WOOL. 

German wool, are exceedingly brilliant. It is usually made in 
sizes of eight or ten threads ; and, for the purposes of crochet or 
tricot, cannot be surpassed. It must, however, be borne in 
mind, that it is a more costly material than the English fleecy.* 



* The art of dyeing was practised in the most remote ages. Savage 
and barbarous tribes even possessed colours which have been highly es- 
teemed among civilised nations. From the writings of Moses, it is obvious 
that it had, in his time, made great progress. He mentions (Exodus xxv. 
4-5) blue, purple, and scarlet, and rams' skins dyed red. The Egyptians, 
according to Pliny (lib. xxv. c. 2,) had discovered a mode of dyeing some- 
what resembling that now employed for tinting printed cottons — the stuffs, 
after having been impregnated with mordants, were immersed in vats, where 
they received the different colours. 

At a very early period, the art of dyeing had been brought to a 
considerable degree of perfection in Phoenicia. The method of dyeing woollen 
cloths pnrpls was jfirst discovered at Tyre. This colour, — the most celebrated 
among the ancients, — appears to have been brought to a degree of excellence, 
of which we can form but a very faint idea. It is related, that a shepherd's 
dog, instigated by hunger, having broken a shell on the sea shore, his 
mouth became stained with a colour, which excited the admiration of all 
who saw it, and that the same colour was afterwards applied to the dyeing 
of wool with great success. According to some of the ancient writers, this 
discovery is placed in the reign of Phoenix, second king of Tyre, five 
hundred years before Christ. Others fix it in that of Minos, who reigned 
in Crete about 1439 years before the Christian era. The honour of the 
invention of dyeing purple, however, is generally awarded to the Tyrian 
Hercules, who presented his discovery to the king of Phoenicia ; and the 
latter was so jealous of the beauties of this new colour, that he forbade 
the use of it to all his subjects, reserving it for the garments of royalty 
alone. Some authors relate the story differently : Hercules' dog having 
stained his mouth with a shell, which he had broken on the sea shore, 
Tysas, a nymph of whom Hercules was enamoured, was so charmed with 
the beauty of the colour, that she declared she would see her lover no more 
until he had brought her garments dyed of the same. Hercules, in order 
to gratify his mistress, collected a great number of the shells, and suc- 
ceeded in staining a robe of the colour the nymph had demanded. 

The Tyrian purple was communicated by means of several species of 
univalve shell-fish. Pliny gives us an account (lib. vi. c. 36.) of two kinds of 
shell-fish from which the purple was obtained. The first species was called 
buccinum, the other purpura. A single drop of the liquid dye was obtained 



WOOL. 43 

from each fish, by opening a vessel situated in its throat. This liquid, when 
extracted, was mixed with a sufficient quantity of salt to prevent putrefaction. 
It was then diluted with five or six times as much water, and kept mode- 
rately hot in leaden or tin vessels for the space of ten days, during which 
time it was frequently skimmed, in order to separate all impurities. In 
dyeing, the wool was washed, immersed and kept in the Uquid for five 
hours. It was then taken out, carded, and again immersed for a sufficient 
length of time for all the colouring matter to be extracted from the liquid. 
For the production of particular shades of colour, various salts were added. 
The colour of the Tyrian purple itself appears to have been similar to that 
of blood. This author also says, that the Tyrians first dyed their wool in 
the liquor of the purpura, and afterwards in that of the buccinum. We 
find allusions to this practice in several passages of the sacred writings. 
Horace also says : 

"Muricibus Tyriis iteratse vellera lanae." 

And again: 

" Te bis Afro 

Murice tiiicise 
Vestiuiit lauffi." 

The purple mentioned in Exo.dus was probably that dyed by the Tyrians. 
Ezekiel, in his prophecy against Tyre, says : " Fine linen with broidered 
work from Egypt, was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail ; blue 
and purple from the isles of Elishah was that which covered thee." It is 
generally supposed, that by Elishah, Elis, on the western coast of the Greek 
Peloponnesus, was referred to : hence it would appear that the Tyrians, in 
the time of Ezekiel, obtained their supply of shell-fish for dyeing purple 
from the coast of Greece. This celebrated colour was restricted by the 
ancients to the sacred person and palace of the emperor ; and the penalties 
of treason were denounced against the ambitious subject who dared to usurp 
the prerogative of the throne. 



CHAPTER V. 



Siik. 



" She sets to work millions of spinning worms, 
That in their green shops weave the smooth-haired silk, 
To deck her sons." 

Milton. 

"Let Asia's woods 
TJntended, yield the vegetable fleece, 
And let the little insect-artist form, 
On higher life intent, its silken tomb." 

Thomson. 




ILK-WORMS, — ^tlie most precious of insects, — 
wbose produce holds so important a place amongst 
tlie luxuries of modern life, were first rendered 
serviceable to man by the Chinese, about two 
thousand seven hundred years before the Chris- 
tian era. Their most ancient authorities repre- 
sent the Enipresses of China, as surrounded by their women, 
engaged in the occupation of hatching and rearing silk-worms, 
and in weaving tissues from their produce. To the empress See- 
ling-shee, the consort of Hoang-tee, is ascribed the honour of 
having first observed the silk produced by the worms, of unravel- 



SILK. 45 

ling their cocoons, and working the fine filament into a web of 
cloth.* 

From China, the art of rearing silk-worms passed into India 
and Persia. The production of silk was unknown in. Europe, 
however, until the middle of the sixth century, when two monks, 
who had long resided in China, succeeded in carrying some of 
the eggs of the insect, concealed in a hollow cane, to Constanti- 
nople ; where, under their directions, the eggs were hatched by 
artificial heat: the worms were fed by leaves of the mulberry 
tree ; they lived and laboured, and, by the use of proper means, 
the race was propagated and multiplied. This knowledge, under 
the emp3ror Justinian, bscama productive of a new and impor- 
tant branch of industry to the European nations. Manufactories 
were established in Athens, Thebes, and Corinth, but, until the 
twelfth century, Greece appears to have been the only country in 
Europe in which the art was practised.! 

About 1130, Roger II, king of Sicily, established a silk manu- 
factory at Palermo, and another in Calabria, managed by work- 
men taken as slaves from Athens and Corinth, of which cities he 
had made a conquest in his expedition to the Holy Land. By 
degrees the rest of Italy and Spain learned from the Sicilians and 



* For an account of the invention, manufacture, and general use of silk Ln 
China, vide Du Halde's Description GeogTaphique, Historique, et Physique de 
VEmpier de la Clvine. 

t A species of silk-worm, common in the forests both of Asia and Europe, 
vpas cultivated in the little island of Ceos, near the coast of Attica. A thin 
gauze was procured from their webs ; and this Cean manufacture, the invention 
of a woman, for female use, was long admired both in the east and at Rome. — 
The silks, which had been closely woven in China, were sometimes unravelled 
by the Phoenician women, and the precious materials were multiplied by a looser 
texture, and the intermixture of linen threads. — On the texture, colours, names, 
and use of the silk, half silk, and linen garments of the ancients, see the 
researches of the learned Salmasius. 



46 SILK. 

Calabrfans the managemerit of tlie silk-worm, and tlie working 

of the silk. The art of rearing these insects did not reach 
France until after the reign of Charles YIII, when the white 
mulberry tree, and a few silk-worms, were introduced into Dau- 
phiny by some noblemen, on their return from the conquest of 
Naples. It was not, however, until 1654, that they began suc- 
cessfully to produce the silk itself, when Traucat, a common 
gardener of Xismes, laid the foundation of a nursery of white 
mulberry trees, and with such success as to enable them to be 
propagated within a few years over all the southern provinces 
of France.* 

It is uncertain at what period the use of silk was introduced 
among the Romans ; but it was most probably in the time of 
Pompey and Julius Caesar. So great, however, was its rarity, 
that it was sometimes sold for its equal weight in gold; and, 
even in the time of Aurelian, in the year 275, it was so expensive, 
that he is said to have refused his empress's particular request 
for a silken robe, on account of the price being so great. We 
are informed by Tacitus, that a law was passed in the beginning 
of the reign of Tiberius, that no man should disgrace himself by 
wearing a silken garment. f The profligate Heliogabalus, however, 
set aside this law. and was the first of the Roman emperors who 
wore a dress [holosericum) composed entirely of silk. After this, 



* " The enormous quantity of this material used in England alone, amount- 
ing in each year to more than four millions of pounds' weight. Fourteen 
thousand millions of animated creatures annually hve and die to supply this 
little corner of the world with an article of luxury. If astonishment be excited 
at this fact, let us extend our view into China, and survey the dense poj^ula- 
tion of its widely spread region, who, from the emperor on his throne to the 
peasant in the lowly hut, are indebted for their clothing to the labour of the 
silk-worm." — Lardnrr's Coin it Cijclopadia. 

t "Ne vestis serica \'iros foedaret." — Aiinol. 1, ii. c. 33. 



SILK. 47 

tlie custom of wearing silk soon became general among the wealthy 
citizens of Rome. As the demand for silk increased, efforts were 
made to import larger quantities, and the price of it gradually- 
declined, for in the time of Ammianus Marcellinus, silk appears 
to have been worn even by the lowest classes.* 

The art of spinning, throwing, and weaving silk, was introduced 
into England at the commencement of the fifteenth century ; but 
silk appears to have been used by persons of distinction two 
centuries previously: for in the year 1251, at the marriage of 
Margaret, daughter of Henry III, a thousand English knights 
appeared in colnlises of silk.f The manufacture of silk was first 
practised in England in the reign of Henry IV, by a company 
in London, called silk-women ; the articles produced consisted of 
laces, ribbons, and similar narrow fabrics, and these in no great 
quantities; but about the year 1480, men began to engage in 
the manufacture. Henry VIII wore the first pair of silk stockings 
in England, I — these were knitted ; and in the latter years of the 
reign of Elizabeth, silk stockings were her only wear.*^ About 

* Am. Marcel, lib. xviii. c. 6. The historian Pausanias was the first who 
described the silk-worm. Before his time, the ancients imagined that silk was 
the produce of the ti*ees of the S^res or Chinese. For an interesting account of 
the introduction of the seric insect into Europe, the reader is referred to Gib- 
bon's DrcHne and Fall of ths Roman Empire. 

t Matthew Paris. 

% By statute 33 Henry VIII, a person whose wife wore a silk gown was 
bound to find a charger for government. 

§ It is related by Howell, in his Hist/mj of the World, (vol. ii. p. 222) that 
que?n Elizabeth, in the year 15G1, was presented with a pair of black knit silk 
stockings, by Mistress Montague, her silk-woman, at which she was so 
much dehghted that she thenceforth never condescended to wear those of clotli. 
It mi;.:ht have been supposed that Elizabeth's inordinate fondness for dress would 
have induced her to give every encouragement to the manufacture of so elegant 
a fibric as silk: it does not, however, appear that much progress was made in 
it during her reign. Content, probal)ly, with her ov/n acquisition, she might 
be desirous that the more becoming silken texture should remain a regal piivi- 



48 ■ SILK. 

1620, in tlie latter part of the reign of James I, the broad silk 
manufacture was introduced into this country; and in 1629 it had 
progressed with such vigour and advantage, that the silk throw- 
sters of the city and parts adjacent, were incorporated into a 
company: which company, in 1661, employed above forty thou- 
sand persons. In 1719, a silk throwing mill was erected at Der- 
by; and, from that period to the beginning of the present century, 
various improvements were introduced : but those made since that 
time, or during perhaps the last fifty years, have been consider- 
able; and the silk manufacturers in this country can now vie 
with that of any other. 

It would be irrelevant to this volume, to enter more fully into 
the history of silk, or of the little worm which produces it ; — a 
subject, nevertheless, replete with interest. The metamorphoses 
which the insect undergoes, — the production of the silk, — its 
mode of filature, or winding from the cocoons, — and the subse- 
quent processes of converting it into singles, tram, and organzine, 
bsfore it is fit for the various purposes of the arts, will be found 
fally described in all works on silk manufacture. We shall there- 
fore proceed to mention the various kinds of silk, and the differ- 
ent purposes for which they are used as articles of needlework ; 
but previously to doing so, we cannot omit quoting the following 
simple lines of the poet Cowper, on — • 

THE SILK-WORM. 

"The beams of April, ere it goes, 
A worm, scarce visible, disclose j 



lege; and while she dis])layed her own ancles in the delicate silken knit, was, 
perhaps, well pleased that her maids of honour should conceal theirs under the 
clumsy and inelegant cloth hose, lest, haply, among these, some might have 
been found rather more beautifully formed than her own. 



SILK. 49 

All winter long content to dwell 

The tenant of his native shell. 

The same prolific season gives 

The sustenance by which he lives, 

The mulberry leaf, a simple store, 

That serves him — till he needs no more! 

For, his dimensions once complete. 

Thenceforth none ever sees him eat; 

Though till his growing time be past 

Scarce ever is he seen to fast. 

That hour arrived, his work begins. 

He spins and weaves, and weaves and spins; 

Till circle upon circle, wound 

Careless around him and around, 

Conceals him with a veil though slight, 

Impervious to the keenest sight. 

Thus self-inclosed, as in a cask. 

At length he finishes his task: 

And, though a worm when he w^as lost. 

Or caterpillar at the most. 

When next we see him, wings he wears. 

And in papilio pomp appears; 

Becomes oviparous ; supplies 

With future worms and future flies 

The next ensuing year — and dies ! 

Well were it for the world if all 

Who creep about this earthly ball, 

Though shorter-lived than most he be, 

Were useful in their kind as he." 

All silk is essentially the same, although there is a great 
diiFerence in its value and quality, even from the same breed of 
worms. The diiferent appearances which it exhibits, under various 
forms, are owing to the processes which it undergoes by the silk 
throwster, to adapt it to the purposes of the arts. As used for 
needlework, it is to be met with under the following heads : it 
may also be found prepared for the manufacture of particular 
articles, such as mittens, stockings, &c. but they are merely 
modifications of the same, either by being finer or coarser, or 
more tightly or loosely twisted. By the terms fijie and coarse^ 



50 SILK. 

are to be understood, not tte quality of the material, but the 
size of its thread, as it may be composed of a greater or less 
number of the filaments spun by the worm. 

MITORSE SILK. 

Mitorse, or half-twisted silk, is one of the most useful kinds for 
needlework, and is similar to that employed by the Chinese for 
their double embroidery. Considerable practice and care, however, 
are requisite for using it with the perfection which so highly 
characterises the embroidery done with this description of material, 
by the French : a species of work in which they excel all 
other nations. From the peculiar make of this silk, and the 
impossibility of keeping its twist always of one size, its defects 
are apt to become visible in the work; but if this be executed 
with skill, the effect is far superior to that of any of the fioss 
silks, nor is it so likely to become ^""Jluffy^^ in the wear. 

Mitorse silk is applicable to all kinds of embroidery intended as 
articles of furniture, or the nichiackeries, of the drawing room. 
It is decidedly the best and only kind which should be used, where 
the work is intended to be edged with a gold cord. For working 
waistcoats, and other articles of dress, it will be found to be supe- 
rior to any other. For embroidery on cloth, it surpasses in beauty 
every other description of material. Mitorse silk has lately been 
introduced with good effect in some parts of wool work, on 
canvas, for slippers, bags, and other small articles. 

NETTING SILKS. 

Netting silks, or Purse twists, are too well-known to need any 
description: they are made of various sizes, or, as they are termed, 
coarse and fine, and of different qualities. They are to be pro- 



SILK. 51 

cured of most colours, neatly rolled up in skeins. The Frencli, 
perhaps, excel us in the manufacture of their cordonnets, which 
they generally wind upon reels ; their chine netting silks certainly 
surpass anything which has, as yet, been produced in England, 
both in the taste displayed in the intermixture of their colours, 
and in the brilliancy of their dyes; but they do not always possess 
that regularity, either in size or quality throughout the length of 
the reels, as the English skeins. 

Purse-twists are used for various purposes besides those of 
netting and knitting. They are well adapted for embroidery, 
particularly where mitorse silks would be found too thick ; and 
may be used with excellent effect upon cloth or velvet, to produce 
the appearance of gold. The silk takes the tint of or mat so 
admirably, that, if the colour be good, it is almost impossible to 
distinguish it, at a little distance, from gold : it is therefore well 
suited for the embroidering of altar and pulpit cloths, and other 
purposes where gold might be required, as, from exposure to the 
atmosphere, it does not change or tarnish. From the firmness of 
its twist it bears a closer resemblance to gold cord, or bullion, 
than any other description of silk. For tamhour work or chain 
stitch, netting silks are also peculiarly adapted. 

Sewing silks are merely a fine description of netting silk, most 
commonly made of the inferior and less valuable portions of the 
same material. 



CROCHET SILK. 

Crochet silk, or Sole misserre — so called from its being only 
half tightened in the twist — is a coarse description of cordonnet^ 
differing from it only in the mode of twisting. From its great 
flexibility and softness, it is more suitable for crochet work than 



52 SILK, 

the common purse or netting silk, and has a more brilliant and 
glossy appearance than these usually possess, — their lustre being 
deteriorated by the closeness with which their fibres are twisted 
together. 



DACCA SILK. 

Dacca silk, called by the French sole ovale, is denominated fine 
or coarse, according to the number of filaments of silk of which 
it is composed. It is used for all descriptions of flat embroidery, 
and also for some kinds of raised work, such as the small raised 
roses. It was formerly much more in demand than it is at the 
present day ; much of the embroidery for which it was then used 
being now executed in mitorse silk. 

For copying Berlin patterns in silk, or working on fine canvas, 
Dacca silk should always be chosen : it can be procured in a 
great variety of colours and shades, but not in the almost unlim- 
ited number of tints of German wools; — hence difficulties will 
sometimes occur in selecting these silks for the above purposes. 
Dacca silk may be used for intermixing with wools on fine canvas, 
where Jloss silk would be found too thick ; and when required very 
fine, its threads may be divided. 

Dacca silks are usually done up in knotted skeins, in contra- 
distinction to the floss silk, which is twisted into hanks.* 



* Dacca silk — frequently but improperly termed Decca, or even Decker, — 
derives its name from Dacca, a town of Hindoostan, situated in the eastern 
quarter of Bengal, of which province it was, within the last century, the 
capital. This town is very favourably stationed for an inland emporium of 
trade, as the Dacca river communicates directly, and not circuitously, with 
all the other inland navigation. Besides silks, it has a large trade in muslins, 
which are among the most delicate that are sought after in Europe. It must 



6ILK. 58 



FLOSS SILK. 



Floss silk, or soie platte, is a thicker description of silk, and 
is used for all kinds of tapestry work, wherever silk is required 
for heightening the lights, or for giving a more brilliant effect to 
gem patterns, and in other parts of worsted-work as fancy or 
taste may dictate. It is also much used for embroidery ; and 
may be employed for grounding canvas work, with a most rich 
and beautiful effect. It is manufactured of various degrees of 
fineness and coarseness, so that it may be adapted to the size of 
the canvas ; but pieces of work are seldom executed entirely in 
silk on coarse canvas. Floss and Dacca silks are those with 
which the common embroideries on articles of dress are generally 
done, the greater part of which are worked in Scotland. Floss 
silk, as it is prepared in England, is preferable, as it works 
smoother than the French ; a fact which the French themselves 
are now willing to admit. 

This description of silk, as also Dacca silk, must be manu- 
factured from the finest part of the product of the silkworm, as it 
does not undergo the process of twisting or organzining, which 
might otherwise hide any trivial defect in its quality. It is of 
necessity, therefore, when good, comparatively speaking dearer 
than some of the twisted silks. 

Floss silk, so denominated, for the purposes of needlework, 
must not, however, be mistaken for that known as floss by the 
silk-throwsters. The latter is more commonly called bourre de 
sole, or filoselle, and is that portion of ravelled silk thrown on 



not, however, be supposed that Dacca silk is imported from thence, the term 
only being applied to a particular manufacture of this material as first prepared 
in that part of India. 



54 SILK. 

one side in the filature of tlie cocoons, but which is afterwards 
carded and spun like cotton or wool, and forms the spun silk 
of commerce. This article, bonrre de soie^ is sometimes used by 
the French for grounding pieces of work intended as articles of 
furniture, a purpose for which it appears to be well adapted, 
although it has perhaps, too much of the " cottony" appearance 
which distinguishes spun silk.* 



* The female peasants of Lombardy generally wear clothes of home-spun 
floss silk. Of late years, by improved processes, fine fabrics of this material 
have been produced both in England and France. M. Ajac, of Lyons, 
presented, at one of the French national expositions of the objects of in- 
dustry, a great variety of scarfs and shawls, manufactured of bourre de sole, 
closely resembling those of Cachemir. 

Beside the product of the bomiyx, there are other materials closely resembling 
silk ; and attempts have, at various times, been made to render them equally 
subservient to the v^ants of man. It is well known that some species of 
spiders possess the power of spinning a bag somewhat similar in form and 
substa,nce to the cocoon of the silk-worm. At the commencement of the 
last century, a quantity of these bags were collected by M. Bon, from which 
a kind of silk was manufactured, said to be in no way inferior to that of 
the seric insect. It was susceptible of all kinds of dyes, and might have 
been used for every purpose to which silk was applicable, M. Bon had 
gloves and stockings made from it ; in fact, the only obstacle which appeared, 
to prevent the establishment of any considerable manufacture from the silk of 
spiders, was the difficulty of obtaining it in sufficient abundance. Vide 
Examen de la Soye des Araignees, par M. de Reaumur, in the Mems. Acad, 
des Sciences, 1712. 

The pinna, also, a shell-fish found in great abundance in the Mediterranean, 
has been called the silk-Korm of the sea. It belongs to the order of the vermes 
tesiacea. The generic character is : animal, a Umax ; shell, bivalve ; fragile, 
upright, gaping at one end, and furnished with a byssus or beard ; the hinge 
is without teeth, the valves are united in one. In common with the muscle 
the pinna has the power of spinning a viscid matter from its body, in the 
same manner as the spider and caterpillar. The byssus, which it thus pro- 
duces, is scarcely inferior in fineness and beauty to a single filament of the 
comparatively minute silk-worm. The ancients appear to have been intimately 
acquainted with this fish, from the threads of which they wove a kind of 
silk : a robe of this singular material was, according to Prccopius (lib. iii. c. 
1,) the gift of one of the Roman emperors to the satraps of Armenia. It is 



SILK. 55 

now manufactured by the Italians for its curiosity. A pair of gloves, made 
from the byssus, were presented to Pope Benedict XIV. In Sicily, the pinna 
is the principal object of the fisheries, and several beautiful manufactures are 
wrought with their threads. It requires, however, the produce of a con- 
siderable number of these fish to make even one pair of gloves or stockings : 
a pair of the latter, although possessing great warmth, may, from their 
extreme fineness and delicacy, be easily contained in a snuff-box of ordinary 
size. Aristotle gave the name byssus to the silken threads of the pinna 
marina ; but whether it was on account of its resemblance to the byssus of 
which some of the ancient garments were made, or whether this was the true 
byssus itself, is uncertain, as the term appears to have been applied indifferent- 
ly to any material that was spun and woven finer than wool. The description 
of the byssus given by Julius Pollux (lib. vii. c. 27) evidently refers to cotton. 
Aristotle also relates that the pinna keeps a guard to watch for her ; this he 
calls pinnopkylx, and describes as a httle fish with claws lilce a crab. To this 
description the Greek poet Oppianus was indebted, when he says : 

"The pinna and the crab together dwell, 
For mutual succour, in one common shell ; 
They both to gain a livelihood combine, 
That takes the prey, when this lias given the sign; 
From hence this crab, above his fellows famed, 
By ancient Greeks was Pinnotores named." 

There is still another material — a most beautiful production of art, which 
claims our attention — glass. This has been spun into such extremely delicate 
threads, that it is woven with a warp formed of silk into the richest brocades, 
equal if not superior to those of gold and silver. The introduction of woven 
glass, however, does not appear to have met with the success that was antici- 
pated, notwithstanding its brilliant appearance. It is objectionable as not 
possessing the same degree of flexibility as silk, or it might otherwise be used 
as a material for needlework with excellent effect. 



CHAPTER VI 



(Solb anh QUdcx, 



"Then threads of gold both artfully dispose^ 
And, as each part in just proportion rose, 
Some antique fable in their work disclose." 

Ovid. 




MONG the various materials employed in nee- 
dlework, the application of the precious metals is 
extremely curious. Gold and silver (more 
especially tlie former) were used in the earliest 
ages both for embroidery and weaving ; but we 
are not to understand from this, sucb gold 
threads as those now in use : for the embroideries with gold 
mentioned by the ancient historians, were in fact worked with 
the pure metal, which, beaten into thin plates and afterwards 
divided into small slips, were rounded by a hammer, and then 
filed so as to form threads or wire.* The invention of em- 



♦ The method of using gold for needlework is thus mentioned in the twenty- 
ninth chapter of Exodus, in allusion to the ephod : " And they did beat the 
gt>ld into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the 
purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work." 



GOLD AND SILVER. 57 

broidery with gold, has been ascribed to Attalus, king of 
Pergamus ; but the art had evidently been practised in several 
of the preceding centuries. The perfection to which it had been 
brought is manifest, when we are told that Agrippina wore a 
robe woven entirely of gold threads,* without any linen or woollen 
ground. The tunic of Heliogabalus, as described by Lampridius,t 
was of the same maieiial, as also that of Tarquinius Priscus^ 
mentioned by Verriiis.i We are again informed of a similar 
mantle taken from the statue of Jupiter, by the tyrant Dionysius ; 
besides others, not to mention the fabulous net of the poets, in 
which Vulcan entrapped Mars and Venus, and of which it is 
related, that it was so extremely line that the gods themselves 
were unable to perceive it, — and this, we are told, was forged 
by Vulcan on the anvil. 

There is no passage in any ancient author, in which mention 
is made of the preparation of metal similar to the modern method 
of wire-drawing. Very few remains of ancient wire- work have 
been discovered. In the museum at Portici, is a bronze head, 
which has fifty locks of wire as thick as a small quill, bent 
into the form of a curl : and a small statue of Venus has golden 
bracelets, made of wire, round the arms and legs. From the 
appearance of some wire found at Thebes, however, Mr. Wilkinson 
is of opinion that we are almost justified in the conclusion, that 
a mode of wire-drawing was known to the Egyptians ;§ and the 



* " Auro textili sine alia materie," Plin. lib. xxxiii. c. 19. 

+ Vit. Heliogab. c. 23. 

t Plin. lib. xxxiii. c. 19. 

§ That the Egyptians had arrived at great perfection in the art of making 
gold thread or wire, is evident from its being sufficiently fine for weaving with 
linen, cloth, and for embroidery. The exceeding delicacy of the hnen corslet 
of Amasis, as mentioned by Herodotus (lib. iii. c. 43,) on which numerous 



58 GOLD AND SILVER. 

omission of every representation of the process, in their paintings, 
cannot be adduced as an argument against the fact, since they 
have also failed to depict the casting of metals, and various 
other arts with which they were undoubtedly acquainted. Gold 
thread appears to have been made entirely of metal, even to the 
time of the last Roman emperors ; nor are there any instances 
of flattened wire covered round silk or thread, or of silver or 
other wire gilt, in the ruins either of Herculaneum or Pompeii. 

Gold and silver threads, as used at the present day, are generally 
composed of a thread of silk, round which an extremely thin flat- 
tened wire of the metal is spun.* Gold itself is never used for this 
purpose, but a silver or copper wire gilt,t — the former being of 
course the best and most expensive. For silver thread, either 
silver itself, or copper plated, is used in a similar manner. ' With 
the material thus prepared, of various sizes, the different articles 
we meet with are manufactured, such as laces, fringes, tassels, 
cord, &c. 

The finer kinds of work in gold and silver were for a length 
of time best executed in France and Italy. It is said that the 
first machine for wire-drawing was invented by Rudolph, at 



figures of animals were wrought in gold, must have required a proportionate 
degree of fineness in the gold thread used for that purpose. 

* A silver rod is encased in gold leaf, and this compound cylinder is then 
drawn into round wire dovv^n to a certain size, which is afterwards flatted in a 
rolling mill. This flatted wire is then wrapped or laid over a thread of yel- 
low silk, by twisting with a wheel and iron bobbins. By the aid of 
mechanism, a number of threads may thus be twisted at once by one moving 
power. The principal nicety consists in so regulating the movements, that 
the successive volutions of the flatted wire on each thread may just touch one 
another, and form a continuous covering. By the ordinances of France, it 
was formerly required to be spun on flaxen or hempen threads. 

t The inferior manufactures of gold, or copper gilt, are frequently called 
Mosaic gold. 



GOLD AND SILVER. 59 

Nuremberg, in 1360.* Anthony Fournier, a Frenchman, brought 
an improved art of drawing fine wire to Nurembergf in 1570, 
where, a few years afterwards, an artist of the name of Hagel- 
sheimer, or Held, a citizen of the same town, received an 
exclusive patent for its manufacture for fifteen years, which term 
was afterwards doubled. His patent also, by a grant from the 
emperor Rudolphus H, in 1608, included the manufacture of 
copper wire, gilt or plated with silver. In 1602 this patent was 
renewed for fifteen years more by the emperor Matthias, and ten 
years afterwards, was converted into a fief to the heirs male of 
the family of Held. All the wire made in England was manu- 
factured by hand until the year 1565, when the art of drawing 
with mills was introduced. Jacob Momma and Daniel Demetrius 
first established a manufactory for wire drawing at Esher : and 
AndersonJ says, that the first flatting mill was erected at Sheen 
near Richmond, in 1663, by a Dutchman, who began to prepare 
fine gold and silver, such as could be used for spinning round 



* In the fifteenth century, there appear to have been flatting mills in 
several other places besides Nuremberg. In the town-book of Augsburg, 
under the year 1451, is the name of a person called Chunr. Tratmuller de 
Tratmul, as a wire drawer. Vide Beckmann, vol. ii. p. 241, 

t Nuremberg, during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, attained the height 
of its wealth and prosperity. It was the chief mart and staple place for the 
produce of Italy and the Levant, which it received principally from Venice 
and Genoa, and distributed over the north and west of Europe. But commerce 
and the carrying trade of Europe, were by no means the only sources of its 
wealth ; since, in the extent and celebrity of its manufactures, it deserves to 
be considered as the Birmingham of the period. Its artisans — many of whom 
may more properly be styled artists, especially the workers of metals, smiths, ar- 
mourers, cutlers, casters in bronze, and goldsmiths — were esteemed the most 
cunning and skilful craftsmen in Europe, and their productions highly prized ; 
the cloth weavers and dyers were likewise in high repute. Vide Murray's 
Hand book. Southern Germany. 

% Geschichte des Handels, vol. v, p. 484. 



60 GOLD AND SILVER. 

silk for weaving, which, before that period, had been manufactured 
only on the Continent. 

The first object in the manufacture of gold thread, and one 
of the greatest consequence, is the choice of the purest gold ; 
for on this depends the beauty and durability of the colour 
of the articles prepared from it. With regard to the silver 
which forms the body of the wire, it is said to be greatly 
improved by being alloyed with a small quantity of • copper. 
The proportion of gold to be used in the gilding was, until 
of late years, regulated by act of parliament. It is amazing 
to what a degree of fineness the gold is drawn, yet it still 
keeps firmly together without showing the least appearance of 
the silver beneath. 

The various names under which the manufactures of gold and 
silver, as employed for needlework,* will be found, are, — passing, 
cord, braid, bullion, (both rough, smooth, and checked), spangles, 
paillons, lames, and beads, f 

PASSING. 

Passing — of gold or silver — is a smooth thread, of an uniform 
size, closely resembling a thin metallic wire. It is the finest 
material of this kind manufactured, and peculiarly exhibits the 
perfection to which the art of making gold thread has been 
brought. It may be used in the same manner as silk for flat 
embroidery, the needle being threaded with gold in the usual 
way. Passing may also be employed for knitting, netting, and 

* The Chinese, instead of flatted gilt wire, generally employ slips of gilt 
paper, with which they interweave and embroider their stuffs, and twist upon 
silk threads. 

t There are various technical terms for some of these, with which it is un- 
necessary to trouble the reader. 



GOLD AND SILVER. 61 

crochet. It is made of two or three different sizes ; and is dis- 
tinguished from gold cord by the closeness with which the flat- 
tened wire is spirally twisted round the silk, and from its being 
formed of only one thread. For embroidery with passing, the 
needle should be round, large in the eye, and of sufficient size 
to prevent the fraying of the gold as it is passed backwards 
and forwards through the work. The Turks embroider with 
passing on morocco leather in the most beautiful manner. 



GOLD CORD. 

Gold or silver cord is a twist composed of two or any other 
number of threads. The threads are formed by having the flattened 
wire wound round them in a contrary direction to that of passing, 
in order that it shall not ravel by the second process of twisting. 
For the purposes of needlework, it is seldom employed of a larger 
size than two, three, or four threads. Gold cord may be used 
for edging braid work and flat embroidery ; it may also be em- 
ployed for working patterns in a similar manner with braid. It 
should be sewn on with a fine silk of the same colour, taking 
care that the point of the needle does not penetrate the metallic 
surface so as to chip it, and betray the silk beneath. The needle 
should be held in as horizontal a position as possible, and passed 
between the interstices of the cord, slightly taking up a thread or 
two of the surface it is intended to ornament. 

Gold cord is much introduced with wool in some kinds of 
canvas work, but its applicability or merit must be determined 
by the approbation of those who use it. It is, however, to be 
admitted, that as a ground^ for small articles of extreme luxury, it 
may be employed with beautiful effect ; and, if properly managed, 
it is not so expensive as might be imagined. 



62 GOLD AND SILVER. 



GOLD BRA.ID. 



Braid is a kind of plaited lace, made of three or more threads, 

the application of which is too well known to need comment. The 

judgment of the needlewoman must direct her in the selection of 
the quality and make, as best suited to the purposes for which it 
is intended. If to work on velvet, a round full close make is 
preferable. It is made of various widths and qualities : mosaic. 
or copper-gilt, being the least expensive, but. at the same time, 
the least durable. 

BTLLIOX. 

Bullion is manufactured in pieces of about thirty-eight inches 
in length. It is composed of a fine wire so exquisitely twisted, 
that it forms a smooth, round, elastic tube, which may be cut 
with the scissors into the lengths required. There are three 
kinds — the rous-h. the smooth, and the checked — and these are 

o - 

frequently used together in the same piece of work : for instance, 
suppose a large letter were to be embroidered in bullion. — the 
drawing is made, the surface raised with cotton, and the bullion 
cut into pieces of the requisite size : three stitches might be 
made with the smooth, two with the rough, two with the checked, 
then again two with the rough, and three with the smooth : 
this would form a kind of pattern, and very much enrich the 
appearance of the letter. — In some descriptions of embroidery, 
the stems of flowers are worked with gold bullion : but the exe- 
cution of a correctly twisted stem with this material can rarely 
be accomplished but by those who have devoted to it both time 
and attention. 



GOLD AND SILVER. 63 



SPANGLES. 



Spangles, or paillettes, are small pieces of silver or other metal 
gilt or plated, cut into various forms, more generally rounded, 
and pierced in the centre with a hole, through which the silk 
is passed Avhich attaches them to the work. The manufacture of 
spangles is a curious process ] they were formerly in great 
demand, but are now seldom used except for ornamenting fringes 
and tassels. The value of spangles depends on their brilliancy 
and colour and the quantity of gold consumed in the gilding of 
them. , 



LAMA AND PAILLON. 

Lama, or lame, is a gilt or plated sheet of extremely thin 
metal, which may be cut into strips, or any shape desired, either 
with the scissors or a punch. It is employed for the ornament- 
ing of ladies' dresses, and for various embroideries on crepe or 
net. The celebrated Indian muslins from Bengal are sometimes 
worked with it. An imitation of lama is well known under 
the name of tinsel. This material when cut into very small 
pieces by the punch is termed paillon, — the general form in 
which it is used for needlework. It is also manufactured of 
various colours. 

GOLD BEADS. 

Gold beads are either cut or plain; they differ very materially 
both in quality and value, according to the quantity of gold em- 
ployed in their manufacture. They are very pretty auxiliaries 
in all kinds of gold work, and when gold is introduced with 



64 GOLD AND SILVER. 

wool and canvas, are the best and most suitable ; as they do 
not readily tarnish, and, if securely sewn on are very durable. 
Gold beads are used for all kinds of knitting, netting, and 
crochet work with silk ; as also with beautiful effect when in- 
termixed with coloured beads, — a description of work we shall 
more particularly describe in a subsequent chapter. 

GOLD FRINGES. 

Gold and silver fringes are made of all widths and qualities; 
if applied with taste, they certainly form one of the most elegant 
descriptions of trimmings for ornamental needlework. Even in 
this climate they will wear for a great length of time ; and they 
might be more generally applied, as on the Continent, in the 
houses of the wealthy, to the mounting of furniture, such as 
velvet cushions, and other articles of a decorative character. 

The above are the different materials employed for working 
in gold and silver which it is necessary to enumerate. The 
various kinds of laces and other manufactures employed for mili- 
tary purposes, together with this description of embroidery, form 
a totally different branch of the art, which does not come within 
the scope of those who pursue needlework as an amusement. 



CHAPTER VII* 



C[)eniIU, I3raib0, ttc. 



'— " Here they may make choyce of which is which, 

And skip from worke to worke from stitch to stitch." 

John Tayloe, 

ESIDES the principal materials, — wool, silk, 
gold, and silver, there are others which, although 
not so generally employed, must not be passed 
over in silence. We shall endeavour, therefore, to 
give a brief notice of these^ commencing with — 

CHENILLE. 

With tbe exception of the precious metals, chenille is the most 
costly material used in needlework. It derives its name from the 
close resemblance it bears to some species of caterpillars.* The 
most beautiful application of chenille is in embroidery on silk 

♦ Chenille: "Un tissu de sole veloutd, qui imite la chenille." — Diet, de 
V Acad. Fran. 




66 CHENILLE, BRAIDS, ETC. 1 

canvas, for flowers or arabesques: it is also well adapted for the • 
representation of birds; and, if any extraneous article can be i 
admitted with silk and wool, in the working of Berlin patterns, : 
this appears to be the most appropriate, as velvet draperies can 
be well depicted with it. For table-cover borders, and pillows, ■ 
the effect of chenille is extremely rich, both the design and ground 
being worked in Irish stitch. Silk grounds are also admired 
with patterns in chenille. 

Chenille is more commonly made of silk ; it has, however, 
been manufactured of wool, but as the process is equally ex- 
pensive, there is a very trifling difl*eTence in its cost. Two sizes 
of chenille are those usually employed : The smallest is termed 
chenille a broder ; the next size, which is principally used for 
coarse canvas work and crochet, is called chenille ordinaire,* 



BRAID. 

Braid is of three kinds, — Russia, French and round braid, — but 
union cord is more frequently employed than the latter. Braids 
are manufactured either of gold or silver, silk, worsted, or cotton : 
gold and silk, and silver and silk, are sometimes mixed together 
in the same piece. 

The application of braids in forming a most elegant and easy 
species of embroidery is well known, and, if well executed, can- 
not be too much admired, either for folios, bags, note cases, 



* The first process in the manufacture of chenille, is that of weaving ; this 
is done in the same manner as plain weaving, with the exception that the 
threads of the warp are placed at short and regular distances from each other, 
according to the required size of this material. When woven, it is cut with 
scissors between the threads of the warp into strips, leaving a fringed edge, 
as it were, on each side. They are afterwards twisted with a proper machine. 
The more tightly chenille is twisted, the thicker and closer the pile becomes. 



CHENILLE, BRAIDS, ETC. 67 

sachets, table cover borders, chairs, ottomans, and other pieces of 
furniture, besides various articles of dress. The quality, however, 
must be good where nicety of work is desired. 

UNION CORD. 

Union cord is often employed with braid, and with the ad- 
dition of gold cord, serves as a pretty relief Gold union cord 
is also very rich, — close braiding patterns, or a vermicelli pattern, 
being best calculated for its display. 

STRAW. 

A flat plaited straw, with both edges alike, has been introduced 
into worsted work, for carriage baskets, and other fancy articles. 
It is exceedingly pretty, and well adapted to these purposes from 
its bright appearance and durability. Embroidery with split straw 
has also been done on velvet and silk, and has a curious and 
beautiful effect. 

NACRE AND ECAILLE. 

Nacre, or mother of pearl, cut into paillettes of various forms, 
has been employed in a peculiar species of needlework with good 
effect ; it is not, however, commonly to be met with, and is seldom 
practised in this country. Nacre is generally worked on velvet 
or satin, to represent birds or flowers, either in relief or flat ; the 
stems and other parts being formed of gold bullion. It is some- 
times used for embroidering parts of the vestments of the clergy 
in Catholic countries. 

Another description, known by the name of ecaille loork, is an 
imitation of the above. Pieces of flattened quill, cut into simi- 



68 CHENILLE, BRAIDS, ETC. 

lar shapes, but by a much less expensive process, are used in 
the same manner. The ecaille (as it is improperly termed) is 
cut with a punch whilst the quill is in a soft state, which 
at the same time pierces the small holes by which it is to be 
attached. This species of work is perhaps more delicate and 
pretty than the preceding. Whether in relief, or in flat embroi- 
dery, its effect is best displayed on velvet when intermixed with 
gold. 

VELVET. 

Velvet flowers and leaves, cut with a punch, are used with 
most beautiful effect on white watered gros de Naples, the stems 
being worked in gold bullion. They may be worked either flat or 
raised, the same style of pattern being employed as for nacre and 
ecaille. Before the velvet is cut, thin paper should be smoothly 
pasted at the back to prevent the edges becoming rough by 
unravelling. 

BEADS. 

Beads are made either gilt or plated, or of glass, or steel. A 
detailed account of their manufacture and use, will be found in a 
subsequent chapter on bead work. 

Bugles are short glass tubes of various colours. They have of 
late appeared in worsted work, and in an inferior description of 
work on perforated cardboard, but their total inapplicability renders 
further notice of them unnecessary. 

PAILLONS AND PAILLETTES. 

Paillons and Paillettes of polished steel or coloured foils, may be 
beautifully introduced on velvet with gold braid and embroidery. 



CHENILLE, BRAIDS, ETC. 69 



CREPE: 

Crepe flowers on satin, with leaves in chenille or silk em- 
broidery, are very delicate and elegant, particularly if entirely 
worked in white. The shape of the petals should be made in 
paper, from which those in crepe are afterwards to be cut by 
the scissors, and drawn together at their edges to the form 
required. The centres of the flowers, if of a fancy kind, may be 
worked on gold or silver ; but if natural, chenille or silk are 
preferable. The leaves are sometimes worked in China ribbon, or 
velvet applique. 

CHINA RIBBON. 

China ribbon is also pretty for flowers. By running a silk 
at one edge, the ribbon may be puckered up into a variety of 
pretty and fantastic forms. 

The great neatness necessary to produce a good and elegant 
eff'ect with many of these materials, renders their use and applica- 
tion difficult. What can be more wretched than the attempts at 
ribbon work for instance, on a poor thin satin ; and what on the 
contrary, more delicate and simple than the neatly executed crepe 
flower, and well embroidered leaf? 



CHAPTER VIII. 



QLanvasi. 



"These are the gifts of Art, and Art thrives most 
"Where Commerce has enrich'd the busy coast; 
He catches all improvements in his flight, 
Spread's foreign vponders in his country's sight, 
Imports what others have invented well, 
And stirs his own to match them or excel. 
'Tis thus reciprocating, each with each, 
Alternately the nations learn and teach." 

COWPER. 




ANVAS may be classed under four distinct heads, 
according to tlie materials of wliich it is com- 
posed. We have silk, cotton, thread, and woollen 
canvas: these are denominated fine or coarse, in 
proportion as they contain a greater or less 
number of threads within a given space, — the threads being 
stoutest where they are less numerous. Each canvas is further 
distinguished by a number corresponding to its size: thus, for in- 
stance, we have a number twenty, and a number twelve, canvas ; 
these figures are, however, arbitrary, and vary conformably with 
the customs of the manufacturers in each country, ascending or 
descending relatively with their fineness or coarseness ; and as they 



CANVAS. 71 

are more particularly intended for the convenience of wholesale 
purchasers, it is not necessary for us thus to specify them, as it 
would perhaps be more perplexing than useful. The finest canvas, 
whether of silk, cotton, or thread, has acquired the general appel- 
lation of "Mosaic." 

SILK CANVAS. 

Silk, more frequently termed Berlin^ canvas, is generally used 
as a substitute for grounding : it is well adapted for flower, 
vignette, gem, and all kinds of set and arabesque patterns, and 
for a variety of small, useful and ornamental items, as also for 
articles of furniture ; for the latter, however, it is not so well 
calculated as grounded work, where durability is necessary ; but 
for screens and pillows, and many other purposes, it is far pre- 
ferable, much time and labour being obviously saved. Silk canvas 
can be obtained of most colours, — but white, black, claret, and 
primrose, are those generally employed. Working on this canvas 
requires greater neatness in finishing off the stitches at the back, 
than work intended to be grounded ; the wools or silks must not 
be carried across from one part to another beneath, but cut off 
as closely as possible, otherwise when mounted, they would show 
through the meshes of the canvas, greatly detrimental to the ap- 
pearance of the work. 

Berlin canvas being an expensive manufacture, is frequently- 
made of an inferior quality ; it therefore requires care and 
judgment in its selection : — that which is clearest, and freest from 
knots, and of a firm and uniform texture, is to be preferred. It 
is made in widths, varying from half an inch to a yard and a 
half, but there is not that variety in its sizes as in other 
descriptions of canvas : four sizes in general are manufactured, 



72 CANVAS. 

which severally count about 21, 29, 34, and 40 threads to the 
inch.* 

A very flexible canvas, made entirely of silk, was introduced 
a few years since, but it was an expensive article, and adapted 
principally for bead work and purses, and is now seldom to be 
met with. Silk canvas, with gold and silver threads interwoven, 
has also been made, but it does not suit the taste of the English. 

COTTON CANVAS. 

Cotton canvas is made of all qualities, sizes, and widths, and 
is manufactured both in England, France, and Germany. The 
patent, or French canvas, is superior, not only on account of its 
firmness, but from the great regularity and clearness of its threads, 
and, above all, the squareness of its meshes, — an object of very 
considerable importance to the needlewoman, whose work might 
otherwise become most singularly distorted, by the design being 
lengthened one way, and at the same time diminished the other, 
or the contrary, according as it might be worked on the length 
or breadth of the canvas : this, however, is an evil that may be 
taken advantage of for some patterns, when it becomes necessary 
to confine the work within certain limits, as designs may be oc- 
casionally used which would not otherwise count to the required 
dimensions. 

German cotton canvas, although of an inferior description, is 
as well adapted to some purposes as the above, and can be 
procured at much less cost : it is generally made with every tenth 
thread yellow, which many persons consider a great assistance in 



* The threads of silk canvas are formed by a fine silk wound round a 
cotton fibre. 



CANVAS. 73 

counting the stitches. It is mamifactiired both limp and stiffened, 
and, like the French, may be procured of all sizes and widths ; 
but in texture, it is not so strong as either the English or 
French canvas. It should not be used with light or white 
grounds, as the yellow thread >vill show through the work : nor 
should we advise it where much tension is required in the 
mounting. 

A cotton canvas, in iniitation of silk, has been made in Ger- 
many, but it soon soils, loses its colour, and is otherwise very 
inferior.* 

THREAD CANVAS. 

Thread canvas, manufactured from hemp, is now seldom em- 
ployed, except for carpets and rugs, for which purpose its greater 
strength and durability peculiarly adapt it ; it is made of the 
usual sizes and widths. A fine thread canvas formed of flax is 
sometimes to be procured. 

PENELOPE CANVAS. 

Penelope canvas (so called from its having the appearance of 
a canvas from which the work has been unpicked) is much used . 
it is considered by some persons to be easier to work upon, 
each four threads being ready for the needle ; by others, how- 
ever, it is thought dazzling to the sight. For very fine cross 
stitch, it is certainly unobjectionable and more easily seen ; but 
generally speakine, the work produced upon it has not the 



* A canvas has been r-ade purposely for tapestry-stitch, but it is not 
suitable for copying Ee^'lin patterns. 



10 



74 CANVAS. 

even pearly appearance, of that done over the usual canvas. 
Penelope canvas has as yet only been manufactured of cotton. 

FLATTENED CANVAS. 

Flattened canvas, both of thread and cotton, is much used in 
France, and differs only from the others, by its having been 
passed through the cylinders of a flatting machine; it does not 
possess any superior qualities, if we except the- greater facility 
with which designs can be drawn upon it, — an object of some 
importance, where the old method of working with the pattern 
drawn is still adhered to ; but the work, when finished, is not 
equal to that executed on round thread canvas. This plan, how- 
ever, is still continued by one house in Paris, where the patterns 
are all drawn on the canvas, and afterwards traced with a fine 
silk or cotton, of the colours in which they are intended to be 
worked, — a process rendering the work more expensive, and which 
does not appear to be productive of any beneficial result. 

WOOLLEN CANVAS. 

Woollen canvas is an article of German manufacture, and may 
be employed, where the labour of grounding is sought to be 
avoided, but it is far from presenting the same rich appearance 
as grounded work. Claret, black, white, and primrose, are the 
colours generally used, but others may be procured. 

BOLTING. 

Bolting is a very fine description of woollen canvas, principally- 
manufactured in England, but now seldom used except for chil- 



CANVAS. 75 

dren's samplers. An inferior kind of canvas, generally of a 
yellow colour, called sampler canvas, is also made for the same 
purpose : both are limited in width, but they are too well known 
to need further description.* 



* Bolting is woven after the manner of gauze, of fine spun woollen yarn. 
It was originally made for the sifting or bolting of meal or fiour, whence 
it derives its name. 



CHAPTER IX. 



Bcxiin patterns. 



"Learn hence to paint the parts that meet the view, 
In spheroid forms, of Ught and equal hue; 
While from the light receding or the eye, 
The working outlines take a fainter dye, 
Lost and confused progressively they fade, 
Not fall precipitate from light to shade. 
This Nature dictates, and this taste pursues, 
Studious in gradual gloom her lights to lose ; 
The various whole with soft'ning tints to fill, 
As if one single head employ'd her skill." 

Du Fresnoy. 

ERLIN patterns have contributed more towards 
tlie advancement of needlework of the present day, 
than any improvement that has of late years been 
introduced into the art, — not simply from the as- 
sistance they yield the needlewoman, but from the 
demand they have occasioned for improved and 
superior materials. Hence the beautiful wools we now possess, 
which would never probably have been manufactured, had they not 
been imperatively called for by the invention of these designs. 
We are indebted to Germany, for both these advantages ; and it is 




BERLIN PATTERNS. 77 

not a little singular, that the country which produces them ap- 
pears to be the least capable of appreciating their value, — as is 
evident from the greater portion of the needlework exposed for 
sale throughout Germany. The work of German ladies is of 
course an exception to this, as when taste and talent direct the 
needle, it will be equally beautiful wherever it may be found. 
England, and next to her, perhaps Russia, have profited most by 
these auxiliaries. The ladies of Sweden . and Denmark work a 
great deal from them; the French, as yet, have used them but 
little, the old method of drawing the subject on canvas being still 
much in vogue. Great numbers of these patterns are exported 
to America, and to the various countries of the Continent.* 

Berlin patterns, although a production of recent date, have be- 
come an article of considerable commerce in Germany, where a 
large amount of capital is employed in their manufacture. They 
are either copied from celebrated pictures, or (as is more fre- 
quently the case) from the newest and most favourite engravings 
published either in England, France, or Germany. Many sub- 
jects, such as flowers and arabesques, are designed expressly. They 
are first drawn in colours on quadrille or foint paper. ^ and as 
the excellence of the pattern depends principally on the first de- 
sign, it may readily be imagined that artists of considerable talent 
are required for their execution. From this drawing, an engrav- 
ing or etching is made on a copper-plate, which has previously 
been ruled in squares of the required size, corresponding to the 
threads of the canvas : various marks and hieroglyphics are 
engraved on each check or square, which are to serve as guides 

* The proportionate demand in other countries may be stated according to 
the following order of their respective names: — Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, 
Italy, .Spain, and Portugal. 

t Paper marked out into squares of a regular size. 



78 BERLIN PATTEENS. 

for those who afterwards colour the impressions on paper ; the 
part for each colour, or separate shade of colour, being marked 
with a different figure. The pattern, when in this state, bears 
a very great resemblance to those published in old books on 
needlework, above two centuries since ; the present mode being, in 
fact, merely an improvement on the designs which have for years 
been used by weavers for their figured stuffs.* 

The process of colouring these patterns is curious ; the various 
tints are quickly laid on, commencing with each separate colour 
on several patterns at the same time, each check, or continuous 
line of checks, according to the engraved figures, being coloured 
by one stroke of the pencil, the point of which is kept very 
square, and of a size adapted to that of the check of the en- 
graving. Practice alone renders the touch perfect ; and it is 
surprising to see with what rapidity and exactness each tint 
after another is laid on. If we for a moment reflect on these 
different processes, and the time they must necessarily occupy, 
the expense of the design and the engraving, and that each 
square is coloured by hand, we cannot fail to be surprised at 
the small cost at which they are to be procured ; and our won- 
der will not be diminished when we are told, that in some of 
these patterns there are considerably above half a million of 
small squares, like those of a mosaic, to be separately coloured. 

All Berlin patterns are equally adapted for working either in 
cross or tent stitch, though great judgment is requisite in choosing 
them. Patterns intended to be enlarged by the working, should 
be closely shaded, or the colouring, being dispersed, will appear 
meagre. Difficulties frequently arise from working these designs 



* We have several impressions of the patterns in this first stage, which 
have been kindly presented to us by the various manufacturers. 



BERLIN PATTERNS. 



79 



without previously fixing on the colour of the grounding ; this 
should always be done in the first instance, as a pattern, to work 
well, must always be shaded, or sorted^ with strict attention to 
the colour of the ground, — a maxim which is but too frequently 
neglected. Most of the figure patterns may, with a fair knowledge 
of painting, and a just idea of light and shade, be much im- 
proved, as many of them are extremely correct in the outlines, 
although the colouring of most is harsh and glaring in the extreme, 
— a defect which it is the province of the expert needlewoman 
to overcome; in this respect, however, there is frequently a great 
difference even in the colouring of the same design. In sorting 
the wools for working historical subjects, attention to a few of 
the common rules of painting will be found useful in correcting 
some of the more gross of these errors, such, as for instance, the 
back and foreground being of the same depth of shade. — 

" Know first, that light displays and shade destroys 
Refulgent Nature's variegated dyes. 
Thus bodies near the light distinctly shine 
With rays direct, and as it fades decline."* 

Black should never be used next a high light: one-eighth of every 
object has a high light upon it, one-eighth is darkest shadow, 
and six parts light and half tint. No objects in nature, are 
positively blue, red, or yellow, — owing to two causes : the one, 
! that most objects reflect the sky; the other, that the atmosphere 
between the eye of the observer and the object, causes the bright- 
ness of the tints to be deadened : it hence arises, that care must 
be taken to avoid the immediate contact of bright colours with 
each other, where any attempt is made to imitate nature, — the 

* Du Fresnoy, translated by Mason. 



80 BERLIN PATTERNS. 

contrary of wliicli, it would appear, was the point to be arrived 
at in some of the Berlin patterns. 

" Chose such judicious force of shade and light 
As suits the theme, and satisfies the sight; 
Weigh part with part, and with prophetic eye 
The future power of all thy tints descry ; 
And those, those only on the canvas place, 
Whose hues are social, whose effect is grace."* 

In some patterns, when harmony of colour alone is to be sought, 
it is easier to avoid these defects ; but a few of the more neces- 
sary rules to be observed, independent of the guidance of taste, 
may not be unacceptable. Scarlets and yellows assort very ill, 
and browns and lilacs are also lost upon a scarlet ground ; blues 
and greens are bad together, as well as yellow and green ; on 
the contrary, almost all the class of drabs and fawns (called by 
the French ecrui^, and used by them with such exquisite taste), 
are good with blue ; the colder and greener shades with lilacs ; 
the deep rich brown-toned drabs are beautiful with yellow ; pinks 
and greys are good ; scarlets and slates ; greens and red browns ; 
greens and maize, with some shades of salmon colour ; blue with 
maize ; lilac with green ; and blue with claret, — will all be found 
generally to please the eye. 

The greatest difficulty which we have to encounter in selecting 
the colours for figure patterns, is the face ; so many totally dif- 
ferent colours and shades are here required to produce, when 
worked, what should appear to be almost but as one — and here 
the skill of the needlewoman will be fairly put to the trial. The 
skies and clouds are also difficult to manage ; the greatest nicety 



* Du Fresnoy, translated by Mason. 



BERLIN PATTERNS. 81 

being required in the blending of the various colours, and to 
avoid the liney appearance which will but too frequently occur. 

Berlin patterns can be copied on cloth, satin, or other materials, 
by stretching a canvas over them, and working through the 
threads, which are afterwards to be drawn out. On cloth, however, 
it is better not entirely to withdraw the threads, but only to cut 
them off close to the work : by this means, when mounted, it will 
have a much richer and closer appearance, and if intended for 
articles of furniture, will wear much better. In groups of flowers, 
the small interstices of ground which sometimes appear between 
the leaves, are better worked with a wool exactly corresponding 
to the colour of the cloth, than to cut out the threads, — an 
uniform surface being thus given to the whole work. 

For working these patterns on Berlin, or silk canvas, the same 
rules are applicable as for canvas intended to be grounded; but 
it may not be improper to remark, in this place, on a method of 
mounting small pieces of work on Berlin canvas, which has been 
copied from the Germans: namely, that of placing a painted sky 
behind the canvas. Good needlework requires no foreign aid for 
its display ; but here, on the contrary, instead of receiving any 
such, a mean and paltry appearance is frequently given to it. 
Vignette and flower pieces &c. even when worked on white silk 
canvas, may sometimes be appropriately lined with coloured satins 
or velvets, to take away from the otherwise cold appearance of the 
ground ; but the lining should always be of one uniform colour. 
Coloured silk canvas should be lined with a coloured ground in 
accordance with their several tints. 

A few coloured paper patterns are ^published at Vienna ; they 
consist principally of flowers, birds, and arabesques: some of these 
surpass in beauty of design and colouring (being more true to na- 
ture) any of those produced at Berlin, particularly when worked. 



11 



82 BERLIN PATTERNS. 

We may, for instance, mention the pattern of the Parrot and 
Basket of Flowers, the Cockatoo and Flowers, and a most beautiful 
Group of Flowers, principally tulips, in a basket. 

Attempts have been made, but unsuccessfully, to produce similar 
patterns at Dresden and Nuremberg, and also at Paris ; but nothing 
more wretched, either in design or execution, can be conceived. 

It may not be uninteresting to observe, that the work executed 
from these patterns in England, far surpasses anything of the 
kind usually done on the Continent. In Germany, the work done 
for sale from Berlin patterns is frequently more defective in point 
of colouring than the patterns themselves. We formerly procured 
the greatest part of our most beautiful needlework from France 
and Germany; but the art has, within the last few years, so greatly 
improved in England, that ere long we must be the exporters. 
The French are behind us in all kinds of canvas work, — with 
their embroidery w^e can seldom compete.* 



* We are indebted to Mr. Wittich for the following facts relative to the 
history of Berlin patterns. — About the year 1805, a Mr. Phillipson published 
some patterns, which, being badly executed and devoid of taste, did not meet 
with the encouragement he expected. In 1810, Madame Wittich, — a lady of 
great taste and an accomplished needlewoman, justly appreciating the advantages 
the art would derive from such designs, and anxious that this species of amuse- 
ment for ladies should be more widely spread, — prevailed upon her husband, a 
printseller of note at Berlin, to undertake the publication of a series of these 
patterns; which he did, got up in so superior a manner, that many of the first 
patterns which were issued from his establishinent are now in as much demand 
as those more recently published : in fact, we very much doubt whether any, 
since published by other houses, have ever equalled, either in design or colour- 
ing, the earlier productions of Mr. Wittich. 

The designer and engr?ver of these patterns are of course paid as artists, in 
proportion to their talents ; the cost of the first coloured design on point paper 
varying from three to thirty or forty guineas, but, in some instances, as in the 
large pattern of Bolton Abbey, the Garden of Boccaccio, &c. it is considerably 
more. The colouring affords employment both for men, women, and children : 
a dozen or half-dozen copies are given to each person at a time, with the original 



BERLIN PATTERNS. 83 

design as a guide. An industrious man seldom earns more than one thaler, 
or three shillings, per day; the children, from six to eight silber-groschen, or 
from sixpence to tenpence English. From the great increase of the trade of 
late years, and the number of new houses that have sprung up, it is impossible 
to give (as a statistical fact) any idea of the number of persons employed in 
their manufacture. Besides the hands engaged in the preparation of these 
patterns, they have been the means indirectly of affording employment to nu- 
merous other persons, by creating a demand for new and various articles in 
other branches of trade ; such as in the preparation and dyeing of wools and 
silks, the weaving of canvas, &c. whilst others, principally females, are engaged 
in workincr the designs. 



CHAPTER X. 



Uraraing patterns for ©mbroibijrs, 
i3raibing, etc. 



" Artist, attend — your brushes and your paint." 

CoWPER. 

" "Whether the shapeless wool in balls she wound, 
Or with quick motion turn'd the spindle round, 
Or with her pencil drew the neat design, 
Pallas her mistress shone in every line." 

Ovid. 

ONSTDERABLE experience and skill are requi- 
site for the designing of suitable patterns for 
needlework, and drawing them on the material 
upon which they are intended to be worked, — 
the most essential, as well as one of the most 
difficult parts of the preparatory process. Any 
person with moderate talent for drawing, can easily accomplish the 
operation of tracing ; but it requires a combined knowledge both 
of painting and needlework, to perfectly adapt the design to the 
purpose intended, as the draughtsman might portray his subject 
in such a manner, that however beautiful and correct it might be, 
it would be impossible to imitate or express it in embroidery. 



^a^MWtl 


'l^^^^^^^T 


i^^^mi \ 


I^^^H' ' 


^^^^3 



DRAWING PATTERNS. 85 

The design being carefully and distinctly drawn on paper, it 
must be neatly pierced with a steel point into holes : the pattern 
thus prepared must be laid on the cloth, velvet, satin, or whatever 
may be the material intended to be worked upon, care being 
taken that both are perfectly flat and ^ even, and that the pattern 
is placed in the exact position it is intended to occupy, and 
firmly kept in its place b; rieans of weights, as the slightest 
shifting of the pattern world entirely destroy the effect : pounce 
must then be rubbed over it, so as to penetrate equally through 
the pierced holes. On removing the paper (if the operation has 
been skilfully performed), the design will be found to be as 
beautifully and as distinctly marked out as if it were actually 
printed on the fabric. The design thus produced on the material 
must be traced over with the proper liquid, using a sable or 
goat's hair pencil for the purpose, — a camel's hair pencil, especially 
if it be for drawing on cloth, being too flexible. 

Drawing liquid is a preparation the best adapted for tracing 
these designs, as it can be prepared of any colour, and is equally 
adapted for every description of material that can be worked upon. 
All mixtures of gum and white lead, or other colours, should be 
especially avoided, as they produce a rough, uneven surface, and 
are so easily rubbed off, that they injure the silks used in cm- 
broidery ; and in braiding, the pattern of one part is frequently 
worn off while working the other, by the mere rubbing of the 
fingers.* 

When large patterns are required to be draw^n, such as for 
table-cloths, ottomans, and the like, where the same pattern, or 



* Drawing liquid is the compoBition irade by pattern drawers to trace their 
designs ; and we conclude that each designer has some different preparation, 
the excellence of which is best tested Ity its tenacity, and the clearness of the 
outline which can be produced with \i. 



86 DRAWING PATTERNS. 

its reverse, is intended to be repeated, it will be found a great 
saving both of time and trouble, to draw one division of the 
design only on tbe paper, witb certain corresponding guides or 
marks, which are also to be pounced, in order that the pattern 
may be again placed in its exact relative position, to continue or 
repeat the other portion of the design, which has been previously 
pounced. This method, if followed with adroitness, will produce 
a more correct pattern when finished, than if the whole design 
had been drawn, and pounced at the same time.* 

In drawing a design on paper, when the two halves, or four 
quarters or corners, are intended to correspond, much time is 
saved, if, instead of repeating the drawing, the paper be folded 
in two or four portions, taking care that the folded edges be 
exactly parallel to each other : the pattern being drawn on 
one division of the paper thus doubled, the holes are to be 
pierced through the several portions at the same time. On 
opening the paper, a more correct design will be found to have 
been produced, than if each portion had been separately drawn 
and pierced. — This mode, when the design will admit of it, may 
be advantageously adopted, even where the paper would require 
to be doubled six or eight times, provided care be taken to keep 
the several parts exactly folded. 

MM. Revol and Regondet obtained a '•' Brevet d' Invention" 
for a method of pouncing and tracing patterns, which deserves 
some notice : — '• Elle consiste a remplacer la poudre de charbon, 
la craie, ou la chaux vive dont on se servait autrefois, par 
ujie poudre resineuse tres fine. On ponce avec cette poudre 
comme a 1' ordinaire, puis on la fixe promptement, en passant 



* This process is similar to that employed for block-printing for calicoes, 
paper hargings, &c. where it is requisite to repeat the same pattern, or to print 
the different parts of the pattern with various colours. 



DRAWING PATTERNS. 87 

I'etoffe au-dessus d'un brasier peu ardent, ou bien en promenant 
un far chaud a repasser sur cette etoffe recouverte alors d'un 
papier blanc. Cette derniere methode, d'un usage plus sur, a 
I'avantage de produire un dessin correct sur le papier, en meme 
terns que de fixer ce dessin irrevocablement sur I'etofFe. On 
conq.olt aisement que la cbaleur fond la resine, que celle-ci s' attache 
au tissu, et que par consequent le dessin est solidement imprime. 
Les personnes soigneuses comprendront aussi combien il est im- 
portant d'eviter de repandre de cette poudre sur I'etofFe ailleurs 
que dans les endroits que la broderie doit recouvrir. Klles pensent 
avec raison qu'il en resulterait, par Taction de la chaleur, des taches 
qui ne s'enleveraient que comme les tacbes resineuses ordinaires." 

For embroidering in satin-stitcb, the pattern, traced in black on 
paper, may be tacked under the material, when it is sufficiently- 
transparent to admit of its being seen, as in muslins, cambric, 
&c. This seems the easiest and most delicate way of following 
the design ; but where the material is too thick, the pattern may 
be drawn upon it with indigo, mixed with a sufficient quantity of 
gum to prevent its " running." The lighter these lines are 
drawn the better, as they are the more easily effaced by washing.* 

There is great difficulty in changing the proportions of patterns : 
those which are much admired when small, frequently lose all 
their delicacy and taste when enlarged ; and on the contrary, bold 
and elegant designs are quite lost when reduced. This should be 
pointed out by the designer, who should both consult and direct 
the taste and judgment of the embroideress. 



* The following preparation is frequently used for this purpose. A table 
spoonful of spirits of wine, in which are dissolved sugar and gum arabic in 
equal parts, about as much as would lay upon a sixpence, coloured with indigo. 
For common purposes, however, a cake of water colour indigo will be found 
equally useful. 



88 DRAWING PATTERNS. 

With respect to the various materials used as the groundwork 
for embroidery and braiding, on which the design is to be traced, 
little need be said. Satin, from the glossy smoothness of its sur- 
face, is perhaps the most difficult to draAv upon; the pencil being 
apt to follow the straight threads of the warp, thus rendering it 
less easy to produce with gracefulness the curved lines, as on 
other materials. In pouncing, velvet requires the greatest care, 
as from the elasticity of its pile, the paper pattern has a ten- 
dency to move ; great care, therefore, is required, in order to 
adjust it properly and firmly in its place, with the weights. 
The richer the velvet — the pile being closer and shorter — the 
greater is the facility with which it can be pounced, and drawn 
upon; in fact, none but the best velvets should ever be used 
either for embroidery or braiding : — this latter remark is equally 
applicable to cloth. A good knowledge of drawing, and experience, 
will alone make a proficient in this department, which, at first 
sight may appear to be merely mechanical. 

To many persons, especially the artist, some of the above pro- 
cesses may appear tedious and unnecessary, as we frequently see 
some of the most beautiful patterns drawn on the materials at 
once, without any previous design or pouncing being required. 
Such patterns are of course the most valuable, as being unique.* 



* Patterns may also be drawn on paper, and the lines cut out in a way 
similar to that adopted for stencilling plates, but the process is both tedious 
and difficult. 



CHAPTER XI 



JmpUments. 



"Implements of ev'ry size, 
And formed for various use." 

COWPER. 
NEEDLES. 

IlEN, as has been justly observed, we consider 
the simplicity, smallness, and moderate price of 
a needle, we should naturally be led to suppose 
that this little instrument requires neither much 
labour nor complicated manipulations in its con- 
struction ; but when we learn that every sewing 
needle, however inconsiderable its size, passes through the hand 
of one hundred and twenty diiferent operatives, before it is ready 
for sale, we cannot fail to be surprised.* 



* It would be tedious to enter into the minutiae of the manufacturo of these 
small but important implements, but a few cursory remarks on one or two 
processes through which they pass may not be uninteresting. Wlien the 
wire which is to form the needle has been pointed, and flattened at the other 



12 




90 IMPLEMENTS. 

There are a great variety of needles, but it will be necessary 
for us only to mention those which are more immediately em- 
ployed for decorative needlework. These are known by the 
names of tapestry needles, sharps, and long-eyed sharps. The 
tapestry needle is blunt at the point, with a long oval eye ; it 
is made of various sizes ; those in common use, being from 
numbers fourteen to twenty-live, and are applicable to every de- 
scription of canvas work. They should be manufactured of the 



extremity to form the head, it is handed to the piercer. This is commonly 
a child, who, laying the head upon a block of steel, and applying the point 
of a small punch to it, pierces the eye with a smart tap of a hammer, ap- 
plied first upon the one side, and then exactly opposite upon the other. 
Another child trims the eyes, which he does by laying the needle upon a 
lump of lead, and driving a proper punch through its eye; then laying it 
sideways upon a flat piece of steel, with the punch sticking in it, he gives it a tap 
on each side with his hammer, and causes the eye to take the shape of the punch. 
The operation of pierciiig and trimming the eyes is performed by clever chil- 
dren with astonishing rapidity, who become so dexterous as to pierce loith a 
•punch a human liair, and thread it with another^ for the amusement of visitors. 
The next operation makes the grove at the eye, and rounds the head ; they 
are then tempered, polished, &c. and thrown as a confused heap, into a some- 
what concave iron tray, in which, by a few dexterous jerks of the workman's 
hand, they are made to arrange themselves parallel to each other. They are 
afterwards sorted and divided into quantities for packing in blue papers, by 
putting into a small balance the equivalent weight of one hundred needles, 
and so measuring them out without the trouble of counting them individually. 

It is easy to distinguish good English needles from spurious imitations; be- 
cause the former have their axis coincident with their points, which is readily 
observed by turning them round between the finger and thumb. 

The construction of a needle requires, as already stated, about one hundred 
and twenty operations ; but they are rapidly and uninterruptedly successive : a 
child can trim the eyes of four thousand needles per hour. 

When we survey a manufacture of this kind, we cannot fail to observe, 
that the diversity of operations which the needles undergo, bears the impress 
of great mechanical refinement. In the arts, to divide labour is to abridge 
it; to multiply operations is to simplify them; and to attach an operative ex- 
clusively to one process, is to render him much more economical and 
productive. — Abridged from Dr. Ure. 



IMPLEMENTS. 91 

finest steelj but they are occasionally made of gold or silver for 
use in warm climates. The same kind of needle made with a 
sharp point, is employed for chenille embroidery, and for working 
on cloth through canvas. 

The sharps are the common sewing needles, with round eyes ; 
they are made of various qualities, both as to steel and work- 
manship. There is also a similar kind of needle, but shorter, 
termed blunts ; the first are useful for all general purposes, the 
latter are principally employed by the tailor, the glover, the 
shoe binder, and workers in leather. They are made in sizes 
numbering from one to fifteen. The truer the eye — whether 
diamond-shaped or round — the less it cuts the thread, and the 
easier it passes through the work. Needles called long-eyed sharps, 
having a long eye, are used for embroidery both in silk and 
wool — those most generally employed, number from one to ten. 
Darners are a similar kind of needle, but much longer than the 
former ; they are mostly applicable to domestic purposes. Aiguilles 
a I'Y grec, are used in France for embroidering, but those 
familiarly known as Whitechapel needles, are better.* 



* The needles used in ancient times, were principally of bronze : Pliny 
mentions them of this metal. Sewing and netting needles have been found 
both at Herculaneum and Pompeii ; and several are preserved in the Hamiltonian 
and other collections. On the two marbles brought from the neighbourhood 
of Amyclse in Lyconia, by the earl of Aberdeen, are represented, among other 
requi-sites for the toilet of a Grecian female, combs, p'mp needles, and bodkins. 
See Walpole's Memoirs relating to Europsa.n and Asiatic Tkirkey, p. 244. It is 
supposed that needles, similar to those now employed, were originally made in 
Spain, from the circumstance of their having been called Spanish needles when 
first used in England, although the art of manufacturing them was brought 
into this country from Germany. Needles were first made in England about 
the year 1565, by Elias Crawse or Krause, a German, who settled in London. 
The reputation long enjoyed by Whitechapel needles, points out the particular 
■locality in London where the manufacture was carried on. The principal 
needle manufactories are now at Redditch in Worcestershire, at Hathersage in 



92 IMPLEMENTS. 



KNITTING NEEDLES, OR PINS. 

Knitting needles are manufactured of steel, ivory, boxwood, and 
whalebone, in sizes varying from that of a fine sewing needle to 
three-quarters of an inch in diameter, and of proportionate lengths. 
Some have a very small ivory ball at one end to prevent the 
work from slipping off, but with this exception, they are always 
pointed. The size of steel knitting needles is designated by their 
numbers, which vary from 6 to 25, and are determined by a 
filiere or gauge ; but as all writers on knitting do not appear to 
employ the same gauge, it frequently leads to error, and will con- 
tinue to do so until there be some general standard. 



NETTING NEEDLES AND MESHES. 

For netting purses, and other small articles, steel needles and 
meshes are always employed, and those of the highest finish are 
to be preferred. The mesh or pin, which determines the size 
of the netting, is a plain polished piece of steel wire of any 
suitable diameter, and like the knitting-needles, measured by a 
gauge. The needle is of flattened wire, and cut into a fork of 
two prongs at each end, the ends of the prongs meeting and 
forming a blunt point, which will allow of it being passed 
either end foremost through a small loop. The silk is wound 
upon the needle, by passing it alternately between the prongs 
at each end, so that the turns of the silk may be parallel to 
the length of the needle, and be kept on it by the forks. 

Derbyshire, and in Birmingham and its neighbourhood. — Bush Lane in London 
seems to have been formerly famous for very small needles ; — " And now they 
may go look this Bush Lane needle in a bottle of hay." — Lenton's Leas, c. 9. 



IMPLEMENTS. 



93 



The excellence of the needle depends upon the points of the 
prongs being true and close together. 

CROCHET AND TAMBOUR NEEDLES. 



Crochet needles, sometimes called Shepherds^ hooks, are made 
of steel, ivory, or box-wood. They have a hook at one end 
similar in shape to the barb of a fish-hook, by which the wool 
or silk is caught and drawn through the work. These in- 
struments are to be procured of various sizes, but their excellence 
depends more on the proper fashioning of the hook, than on the 
material of which they are manufactured. The smaller sizes, 
and those used for tambour work, must necessarily be of steel ; 
these are frequently made of the length of an ordinary sized 
sewing needle, that they may be fixed into a handle, which, by 
means of a small screw, is capable of holding needles of various 
sizes. The larger steel crochet needles, are sometimes made with 
a fixed ivory or ebony handle, — others, entirely of steel. They 
are generally about four or five inches in length. Ivory needles are 
also made of various sizes, and with differently formed hooks, accord- 
ing to the dimensions of the thread they are intended to carry. 



FILIERE. 

A filiere or gauge, is a steel instrument with graduated notches 
round its edges, distinguished by diiferent figures. It is used by 
wire-drawers for ascertaining the sizes of their wires, and is ap- 
plied in a similar manner, for measuring the diameters of netting 
and knitting needles; thus, — when speaking of the relative size of 
these needles, they are frequently designated by their correspond- 



94 



IMPLEMENTS. 



ing numbers; but, as has been before observed, there appears to 
be no universal standard. 




EMBROIDERY FRAMES. 



We do not acknowledge as an embroidery frame, any of a less 
simple construction tban the flat or four-piece frame, composed 
of two bars, to which the webbings are attached, and two side 
laths, with holes pierced at regular distances for receiving the 
pegs to keep the bars in their right position. These are made 
of various sizes, varying from four inches to three yards in 
length, and are proportionably useful for very small pieces of 
work, — when they may be held in the hand, — or, for pieces of 
the greatest magnitude, when their size and weight become suf- 
ficient to keep them steady, placed upon trestles. Large frames 
are useful for working satin or velvet where it does not admit of 
being rolled. This description of frame is the least expensive, 
being formed principally of common mahogany, cedar, or beech. 

The knee, or table frame, has a flat piece of wood forming the 
stand, whereon two upright pieces are fixed to support the frame, 
which can be adjusted at any angle required, by means of thumb- 
screws attached to the joints. These frames are generally made 



IMFLEMENTS. 95 

from eight to twenty-seven inches in the webbing;* they are 
adapted for work of all widths within these limits, and of any 
moderate length, where it will not injure by rolling round the bars. 
The standing frame consists of two upright pieces with feet 
placed on the ground, connected together by a cross bar or 
stretcher ; these support the frame, which is fixed on the top in 
the same manner as that already described. They vary in size, 
from twenty inches to a yard and a quarter. Frames of this 
kind are sometimes made with toothed wheels and other contri- 
vances, for rolling and unrolling the work without taking it out; 
but they are apt to get out of order, and are more clumsy 
and less suitable for ladies, than those of a more simple con- 
struction. Both standing and table frames are frequently made 
of the finest and most expensive woods, when they may be 
rendered most elegant pieces of furniture for the boudoir. The 
upright frames have sometimes baskets attached at either sidej-— 
at once convenient and ornamental. 




Embroidery frames are always measured by the length of their webbings. 



96 IMPLEMENTS. 

Embroidery frames require to be well made, that when screwed 
together they may be perfectly firm and square. When of a 
moderate size, those in which the side-laths or cross-bars are 
formed into screws are preferable, as they can be more readily, 
and with greater precision, adjusted to the required width, by 
means of the nuts. The greatest essential in a good frame is, 
that the cross-bars, as well as the rollers on which the webbing 
is fixed, should be sufficiently stout to prevent its twisting or 
bending when the work is tightly stretched in it.* 

TAMBOUR FRAMES. 

Tambour frames, whereon the material is stretched like the 
parchment of a drum — whence their name — are now seldom em- 
ployed, although formerly much used when tambour-work was the 
fashion. They are formed of two hoops, covered with cloth or 
baize, the material being stretched on the inner, and kept in its 
place by the outer hoop, tightened by means of a thumb-screw; 
it is, however, impossible to secure it as firmly as in the square 
embroidery frame. 

SCREW EMBROIDERY FRAMES. 

These are sometimes made for small pieces of work, to hold in 
the hand. They consist of two rollers witli webbings, and two 
side bars in the form of screws. By having an inside screw 
turned in the holes of the rollers, neither nuts nor pegs are re- 
quired. When the work is attached to the webbings, by merely 
turning the side bars it may be sufficiently stretched. The con- 

* When of a very large size, a moveable centre bar or stretcher may be 
found useful. 



IMPLEMENTS. 9T 

struction of this frame is similar to tliat of a purse stretcher, 
but it has no recommendation except in its neat appearance. 

d'oyley and shawl frames. 




These are made square or triangular, large or small, in accord- 
ance with the purpose for which they are intended. Brass pins 
are fixed at equal distances in a slanting direction on the top, 
round which the wool or cotton employed in making D'Oyleys, 



or other articles, is to be wound. 



MESHES FOR RAISED WORK. 

Meshes for raised work — generally of bone or boxwood— vary 
from a sixteenth to two or three inches m. width, and larger sizes are 
occasionally to be found. They are used for regulating the length 
of the looped stitches, which are afterwards to be divided ; they also 
greatly assist in rendering the work both tight and firm, by the 
resistance they offer. Meshes are sometimes made with a groove 
on one side, as a guide for the scissors to pass along in the cut- 
ting of the loops. 



For the more highly finished descriptions of raised work, a 
steel mesh, with a cutting edge on one part similar to the an- 



13 



98 IMPLEMENTS. 

nexed engraving, will be found the most convenient. Its use will 
be fully described wben speaking of raised embroidery. 



PURSE STRETCHERS. 



^*^^S-i 


'■^iii^kliai.- ^^ ^ fr=J.i^-J;C* :s. 


i 


1 



The above engraving will convey a better idea of this little 
machine than any we are capable of giving. It is used for 
stretching knitted, netted, and crochet purses. 

The purse, when finished, before the ends are drawn together, 
should be sewn up at the mouth, and passed over the wooden 
cylinder, as represented above; it should then be slightly damped, 
and the screws tightened, taking care not to strain it too much. 
By this simple process, the stitches become more firmly fixed in 
their relative positions, and the purse assumes, and afterwards 
retains, its proper shape. 

PURSE MOULDS. 



The above engraving represents two kinds of purse moulds, of 
wood or ivory, on which short purses are worked. The one, 



IMPLEMENTS. 99 

called a mouU Turc, has small brass pins fixed round the edges 
of its largest circumference. A purse may be made on this mould 
by fixing the silk by a loop over one peg, and twisting the silk 
separately round each of the others, — the silk being held in the 
right hand. When this first row is done, wind the silk once 
again round the peg with the loop, and with a steel point or 
needle pass the first stitch over the second, and continue the 
same over each peg as each successive stitch is made, and so on, 
row after row, until the purse becomes of a sufficient length. 
The work as it proceeds falls into the hollow of the mould. 
When all the rows are finished, draw the bottom together, and, 
as each loop is taken off the pegs at the top, pass a silk through 
them, which will prevent their unravelling, and strengthen the 
purse for sewing on the snap. A purse of this description will 
take a large sized skein of netting silk: — it may be mounted either 
with a snap or a diable.* 

On the other mould or cup, a very pretty bourse en feston 
may be made, either with two coloured silks, or silk and gold. 
Since the introduction of crochet, however, these moulds have not 
been much used. 

CHAIN MOULD. 




The above small mould is for making neck chains. These are 

♦ Diables, or purse bars, are wires of steel, gold, or silver, with ornaments 
at the ends, over which a ring is passed to secure the mouth of the purse j the 
ring is attached by means of a chain. 



100 



IMPLEMENTS. 



to be made with middle-sized netting silk, exactly in the 
manner as that described for a purse on tbe mouU Thtrc 



TORE FOR ▲ CHAIN. 




The above represents an ivory fork, used for making neck 
chains, which, if done with very fine silk, perfectly imitate the 
small French hair chains. If a coarse silk be used, a very strong 
watch guard may be made^ 



CHAPTER XII 



iTraming tOork. 




" AW scries of workes, almost that can be nam'd 
Here are directions how they may be fram'd." 

John Taylor. 



REAT care and nicety are required in dressing 
a frame ; — much of the success of the work, and 
ease in its execution, depend on this preliminary 
J| arrangement, which, from it not seeming of im- 
portance, is but too generally neglected. 



FRAMING CANVAS. 



Having ascertained, by counting or by measurement, that the 
canvas corresponds with the size of the design, in order that the 
latter, when worked, may be of the dimensions desired, turn down 
the canvas about half an inch, and having herring-boned it, sew 
it by a thread to the webbing of the frame. Soft paper, six or 
eight times doubled, should be smoothly placed round the bars, 
if the length of the canvas render it necessary that it should be 



102 FRAMING WORK. 

rolledj that part only being left extended in the frame, on which 
the work is to be commenced. By means of the nuts or pegs, it 
should be gradually stretched, and the selvedges braced to the 
side-bars with fine twine, tightening them by degrees until the 
canvas is strained perfectly tight and even* It is of great advan- 
tage that a small length only should be stretched at one time, as 
the work becomes less exposed, and the needle-woman is not obliged 
to reach over her frame, — a position both fatigui*ng and inelegant, 
A short time will suffice to change the position of the work, 
winding it gradually round the bars as it proceeds, and if this be 
carefully managed, it will rarely be found either drawn or un- 
even, when finished. 

It is advisable, as a general rule, that canvas work should be 
commenced at the lower part, on the left hand, more especially 
if the subject be one where a sky is to be introduced ; which, 
as being the most delicate, should always remain until the last. 
The working from Berlin patterns being rather more methodical 
than painting, it will be found that the stitch is truer if worked 
upwards in this manner. 

FRAMING CLOTH AND CANVAS. 

In framing these two materials together for working on cloth in 
cross or tent stitch over canvas, if the article for which the work 
is intended does not require the cloth to exceed in size the breadth 
of the canvas, the cloth should be cut half an inch smaller each 
way, as, when framed, it will stretch much more than the canvas. 



* The advantage of the side bars of a frame being made with a screw is 
here evident, as the canvas can be finally tightened by giving each nut a turn 
or two. 



FRAMING WORK. 103 

The cloth must be turned down at the edges, and tacked to the 
two selvedges of the canvas ; and the raw edges of the canvas 
and cloth turned down together, and then tacked. If the dimen- 
sions of the work render it necessary that it should be rolled, it 
will be found that, from the turnings in at the side, it has 
acquired a greater thickness in these parts, and it will be requi- 
site therefore to put wadding or soft paper on the bars, to thicken 
the other parts equally with the turnings in. By this means, 
the cloth and canvas may be evenly stretched together without 
injury to the former; and the work will not be so troublesome 
to execute, as when the canvas is only stretched over the cloth 
after it is framed. 

When large squares or lengths of cloth are required to be 
worked, such as the centre of a table-cover or an ottoman, it 
will be found better to stretch a piece of thin holland in the 
frame, and tack the cloth evenly and firmly to it, round the 
part intended to be worked. If for embroidery, this will be found 
sufficient ; but if for canvas work, where the threads are to be 
drawn out, the canvas must also be evenly tacked over the cloth. 
Here a difficulty may appear to arise, from the extra thickness 
of the materials through which the needle will have to pass, 
but this is not so formidable as we should at first be led to 
imagine, — the firm tension of the holland readily admitting the 
needle. As pieces of work of the kind we have mentioned are 
of considerable magnitude, and occupy time in their execution, 
it will be worth while to pay some little attention to the ma- 
terials on which they are to be worked. The holland should be 
very thin and glazed; the cloth properly damped, so as to deprive 
it of its glossy appearance, and render it softer; the canvas 
should be the white round-thread French canvas, — and here we 
may again observe that it is better to cut the threads off than 



104 



FRAMING WORK. 



to draw them out. Admitting there is no objection to a large 
frame, yet the cloth is more or less spoiled by being rolled, or 
sewn by any part except the edges. By the above plan, how- 
ever, a firm frame of a yard wide will be found sufficient to 
hold a piece of cloth two yards square, or even five yards in 
length. 

FRAMING VELVET. 



Velvets must be sewn to the webbings of the frame by the 
selvedges, and, if less in width than the original breadth of the 
material, it should be framed in the same direction as the selv- 
edges run ; the pile being more easily managed when in this 
position. The sides must be carefully hemmed before bracing, 
to prevent unravelling. When the length of the velvet exceeds 
that of the frame, it is better to stretch thin holland, and tack 
the velvet to it with small stitches in any of those parts in- 
tended to be covered by the work; the velvet may then lie 
uninjured on the frame, and at any length of yards worked in a 
frame, three feet wide, substituting fresh holland as the work 
proceeds. 

If the velvet is to be embroidered in silk, or chenille, it will not, 
generally speaking, require any other material at the back; but 
if gold or silver are to be employed, or the work is very elab- 
orate, the velvet must be strengthened with holland, which will 
also make it firmer and more pleasant to work upon. In these 
instances, it will be found advisable to frame the holland, and fix 
the velvet, by carefully pasting or tacking it in those parts in- 
tended to be worked. The velvet is to be laid on the holland, 
and slightly pressed, but so as to avoid injury to the pile. Before 
taking embroidery out of the frame, a little paste made with size, 
should be slightly rubbed with the finger over the back of the work. 



FRAMING WORK. 



105 



FRAMING SATIN, SILK, LEATHER, ETC. 

Satin, silk, cloth, and merino, may bs framed in the same way, 
it is not, however, necessary to use hollarid when the work is the 
simple sprigging of a waistcoat, the embroidering of a bag, hand- 
screen, or other small article. 

Crepe should be laid on cle ir ' > ok-muslin, and sewn into the 
frame with the same attention that cloth requires. When the 
embroidery is done, the muslin should be cut close away. 

Morocco and chamois leather, and kid, should be carefully and 
flatly laid on a piece of thin white holland, and tacked down — 
the holland having been previously framed in the usual way^ but 
there should not be any tension on the leather. 




The above engraving accurately represents an embroidery frame 
with a piece of work properly stretched and braced in. it. 



14 



CHAPTER XIII 



0titc[)e0, 



"Fine Feme-stitch, Finny-stitch, Nsw-stitch, and Chain-stitch^ 
Brave Bred-stitch, Fisher-stitch, Irish-stitch, and Qtocen^stitcA, 
The Spanish-stitch, Rosemary -stitch, and Moicse-stitch, 
The smaiTting Whip-stitch, Back-stitch, and the crosse-stitch, 
All these are good, and these we must allow, 
And these are everywhere in practice now. 

John Taylor. 




IVE sticlies are, in general, employed for canvas 
work; viz. tent, and cross stitch, Gobelin or 
tapestry stitch, Irish, and German stitch. Various 
others might be enumerated, but they are all more 
or less modifications or combinations of the above. 
It is a difficult task clearly to describe these different stitches, 
and their application in the various departments of decorative 
needlework. There is, doubtless, a right and a wrong way of 
doing even the most simple. As a preliminary, it must be 
observed that it is requisite, for working with comfort and cor- 
rectness, to have the canvas the right loay ; which is, it should 
be so framed that the selvedges are placed on the sides where it 
is braced. The commencement of almost ail stitches should be 
by bringing the needle up from beneath on the right, and pass- 



STITCHES. 107 

ing it down again on the left: this may be considered as holding 
good with regard to all stitches which do not require crossing; 
but in working cross stitch, it should be done by bringing the 
needle up on the left, and passing it down on the right, then 
up again on the right, and down on the left, to finish the stitch. 
Too great attention cannot be paid to these simple rules j the 
wool, by this means will always be to the left. 

TENT STITCH. 




In tent stitch, the needle is brought up from the right, and 
passed down on the left, commencing at the bottom of the work, 
in the left-hand corner. The stitches better accommodate them- 
selves to each other when worked upwards in this position. The 
wool or silk should properly cover the threads of the canvas ; 
they should be used either single, double, or treble, according as 
the size of the canvas demands. Regularity in this stitch will 
easily be acquired by a little practice ; its simplicity is such 
that the youngest child may accomplish it. When grounding is 
to be executed in tent stitch, much greater care will be found 
necessary than might at first be imagined, as both the ap- 
pearance and durability of the work depend on its being done 
with the utmost nicety. In fact, it is more difficult to work a 
ground with a true and even stitch than to copy a pattern 
however elaborate. 

Grounding is more easily worked in straight rows from left 
to right, and from right to left alternately, than in diagonal lines, 
if care be taken to reverse the stitch in each row. When cor- 
rectly done, the back of the work should present an uniform ap- 



108 



STITCHES, 



pearance, each row of stitches resembling a twisted cord. Knots 
in fastening on or off should be avoided ; it is best to draw the 
wool through at a little distance from the exact spot, and cover 
it with the succeeding stitches. The fastening on from the same 
place in each row must be obviated by using the wool or silk 
in needlefuls of different lengths ; otherwise a liney appearance, 
which it will be impossible to get rid of, will be produced on 
the face of the work. 

CROSS STITCH. 



Cross stitch is worked over two threads in a diagonal direction 
each way. It is a double stitch, and made, first by bringing the 
needle up on the left, and putting it down on the right, v.'hich 
forms half the stitch ; it is then crossed, by bringing the needle 
up again on the right, and passing it down on the left. We 
would advise each stitch to be finished before another is com- 
menced, as the work will be more even, than if it were half 
stitched before crossing, — a method not unfrequently practised. 
Grounding in cross stitch should be done in alternate rows 
backwards and forwards, observing the same rules for reversing 
the stitches as in tent stitch. 

GOBELIN, OR TAPESTRY STITCH. 




STITCHES. 



109 



This stitch is worked over two threads of the canvas in height, 
and one in breadth ; but when Berlin patterns are copied, two 
stitches in width must be made for each square of the design, 
which bear exactly the same proportion as one either of tent or 
cross stitch. On coarse canvas, Gobelin stitch is decidedly in- 
ferior to either tent or cross stitch. Its effect is best on fine 
canvas, where it has the advantage over cross stitch, of a closer 
appearance of shading. Figures, flowers, and every kind of 
pattern, may be worked in Gobelin stitch, but it is certainly more 
suitable for patterns drawn on the canvas, than for count work. 
Either tapestry or cross stitch may be mixed with gold braid on 
canvas, to produce a very rich brocaded appearance. The gold 
braid should be cut in the requisite lengths, and fastened to the 
canvas at either end, and a Berlin pattern of plain damask taken 
for the design. The ground is to be worked either in cross or 
tapestry stitch over the braid, in one rich colour, leaving the 
damask part of the pattern in the gold. Blue, brown, or marron, 
form pretty contrasts ; and, for wedding presents, white and gold. 

IRISH STITCH. 




For grounding, Irish stitch may frequently be used in the 
place of tent or cross stitch, as it takes much less time in its 
execution. It is the best stitch for chenille work on canvas; 



no 



STITCHES. 



and scrolls, gems, and even flowers, may be prettily worked in it. 
The above engraving will convey a much better idea of this 
stitch than any description we should be able to give. 



GERMAN STITCH. 




German stitch is exclusively a grounding stitch, — it is quicker 
done than either tent or cross stitch. Patterns worked in cross 
stitch, may be prettily grounded in German stitch. The above 
engraving accurately represents this stitch. 

IMITATION OF LACE. 

Numerous patterns in imitation of lace have been lately intro- 
duced, and where judgment is used in the application of them, 
they certainly have some merit ; — the best are principally adapted 
for small articles ; but lace and canvas work being somewhat at 
variance with each other, it must be doubtful whether they have 
much claim to good taste. The ground is worked in various 
stitches of line silk, the pattern on it being in cross stitch of 
thicker silk or wool. 

VARIOUS FANCY STITCHES. 



These, as we before stated, are but modifications of the five 
stitches already mentioned, and it will be only necessary for us 



STITCHES. Ill 

to name t"he principal recognised old English stitches ; — to attempt 
a description of them, would be alike tedious and Useless. They 
are, Feme stitch, feather stitch, basket stitch, mat stitch, bead 
stitch, braid stitch, plait stitch, diamond stitch, square stitch, star 
stitch, wove Irish stitch, reverse cross stitch, mosaic flat stitch, 
brick stitch, Venetian stitch, Peruvian stitch, Hungary stitch, 
plaid stitch ; — but this must suffice. Innumerable are the stitches 
which are to be met with on the samplers worked for sale, both 
in England and Germany, and numberless the names applied to 
them, and it is as easy to invent new stitches, as it is to invent 
new names for them. 



CHAPTER XIV< 



^mbroiberji. 



"Wliether her neodle play'd the pencil's part, 
'Twas plain from Pallas she lieriv'J her art." 

Ovid. 

" In a curious brede of needle-work, one colour falls away in such defrrpes, 
and another rises so insensilily, that we see the variety without beinjr ahle to 
distinguish the total vanishing of the one from the first appearance of the other." 

Addison. 

E are indebted to the luxury and magnificence 
of the nations of the East, for the invention of 
embroidery, — an art that has not inaptly been 
termed the mother of painting, its discovery 
claiming the priority by many centuries. Ln 
more modern tii.ies, it has been called the humble sister of the 
latter art; and the aim of the needlewoman has been to imitate, 
as closely as possible, the productions of the pencil, a labour in 
which she has been assisted by some of the most celebrated 
masters, many of whose chef-d'opuvres have been executed for the 
express purpose of being copied in needlework or tapestry. 




EMBROIDERY, 113 

The Greeks gave the honour of the invention of embroidery to 
Minerva:* by Pliny it has been assigned to the Phrygians; 
hence, he says, the Romans called embroiderers " Phrygiones" 
and embroidered garments, " vestes Phrygionice.''^\ The women 
of Sidon, before the Trojan war, were especially celebrated for 
their skill in this art : and Homer mentions Helen as being en- 
gaged in embroidering the combats of the Greeks and Trojans: — ■ 

"An ample web magnificent she wove, 

Inwrought with num'rous conflicts for her sake, 
Beneath the hand of Mars endured by Greeks." 

Andromache also — 

" She in her chamber at the palace top, 
A splendid texture wrought, on either side 
All dazzling bright with flowers of various hues." 



* It is possible that the story of Procne, daughter of Pandion, king of Athene, 
who informed her sister Philomela of her misfortunes by embroidering them on 
a veil, is fabulous; but be this as it may, the fable is of remote origin, and 
tends to prove the antiquity of the art. Vide Ap/dbdorus, lib. iii. c. 14. 

t Lib. viii. c. 74. " Pictas vestes jam apud Hoinerum fuisse, unde triumphales 
natfB. Acu facere id Phryges invenorunt, ideoque Phrygioniae appellatae sunt. 
Aurum intexere in cadem Asia invenit Attains rex: unde nomen Attalicis. 
Colores diversos picturae intexere Babylon maxime celebravit, et nomen imposuit." 
We have been tempted to give the original words of this author, as the terms 
" [)ictas vestes," and '• intexere," have been variously translated. In the Ms- 
ncekml of Plautus (act ii. sc. 3.) a young woman, desirous of sending her 
mantle to be embroidered, says: " Pallam iilam ad Phrygionem ut deferas, ut 
reconcinnetur, atque ut opera addantur, quse volo." That the cloth of Attains 
was embroidered, is proved by a passage of Slllus Ilalicus (lib. xiv. 6G1): — 

" Q,naequf^ Att:ilicis variata per artem 
Auiffiis scribuntur acu." 

And from the following lines in Martial (lib. viii. ep. 2fi), it is evident that the 
Babylonian cloth was also ornamented with embroidery: — 

" Non P{ro prse'ulerim Bibylnnica picta superbe 
T<;xia, S.iiiiiuinia quae vaiiaiitur acu." 



15 



114 EMBROIDERY. 

The art of embroidery was greatly practised among tLe ancient 
Egyptians ; even the sails of some of their ships were wrought 
with fanciful devices, representing the phoenix, flowers, and various 
emblems.* In the time of Moses, Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, 
of the tribe of Dan, was celebrated as " a cunning workman," 
and as an embroiderer in blue, in purple, in scarlet, and in fine 
linen. t The curtains and ornaments of the Tabernacle, and the 
vestments of the priests, were decorated with embroidery. The 
prophet Ezekiel, reproaching the women of Israel with having 
abused the benefits of Providence, after mentionins; their bracelets 
and chains, jewels for their foreheads, and earrings, and their 
crowns, still farther names their robes, dyed and embroidered of 
divers colours.J Attalus, king of Pergamus, is said by Pliny, 
to have invented the art of embroidering with gold thread. 

According to Diodorus Siculus.^ Zaleucus, a disciple of Py- 
thagoras, and a lawgiver of. the Locrians. forbade the use of 
embroidery, except to courtesans: and Dionysius Halicarnassusjl 
informs us, that Tarquinius Priscus, who first distinguished the 
monarch and senators by particular robes and ornaments, was the 
first Roman king who wore an embroidered garment. 

The term embroidery, as employed in the writings of the ancient 
historians, has reference to all kinds of ornamental work done 
with the needle ; thus comprehending within its meaning every 



* Cloth, of embroidered linen, appears to have been made in Egypt expressly 
for sails, and was bought by the Tyrians for that purpose (Ezekiel xxvii. 7), 
but its use was confined to the pleasure boats of the nobles, or of the kin a 
himself; ordinary sails being white. We are informed by Pliny (lib. xxx. c. ]), 
that the ship in which Antony and Cleopatra went to the battle of Actium 
was distinguished from the rest of the fleet by its purple sails, which were the 
peculiar privilege of ihe admiral's vessel. 

t Exod. XXV. 35. : Ezekiel xvi. 13. 

§ Lib. iii. c. G2. II Lib. xii. p. 299. 



EMBROIDERY, 115 

description of decorative needlework, including tapestry, and some 
descriptions of weaving. At the present day, the term is much 
more limited, relating to one kind of needlework only, which, 
however, embraces an almost innumerable variety, both as to the 
materials employed, and the mode of using them. In the ex- 
tended meaning of the term, therefore, nations and savage tribes 
unknown to the ancients, may equally claim the honour of a 
similar invention, as most of them have a species of embroidery 
peculiarly their own.* 

The Chinese have long been celebrated for the beauty of their 
embroideries ; indeed, it has been doubted whether the art was 
not originally brought into Europe from them, through the Persians. 
They use floss and twisted silks, also the bark of a tree spun into 
a fine thread. f The drawing of their embroideries is sometimes 
as uncouth as that of their paintings, but in that of some of 
their flowers (doubtless copied from nature) they are frequently 
even botanically correct ,* and their works are not more to be 
admired for their remarkable freshness than for the extreme labour 
bestowed upon them. Success, as gained by patient application, 
is nowhere so frequently exemplified as in China. The mere 
accomplishment of writing a good style, is the result only of 
many tedious years of study and self-denial. The beauty of the 
written character, the finished graces of their composition, the 



* The word embroidery is derived from the French broderie which some de- 
duce by transposition from bordeur, because they formerly only embroidered the 
borders of their stuffs, v/hence the Latins sometimes called embroiderers li'mbu- 
larii. According to Du Cange, they anciently wrote aurobnistus, for embroidered 
with gold, or brushes brodatus, whence the French word broderie. 

t The fine muslins made at Manilla, with threads spun from the pine-apple 
plant, and afterwards so richly and delicately embroidered with the same mate- 
rial, are well known. 



116 EMBROIDERY. 

excellence of tlieir silk manufactures and embroidery, the wonders 
of their porcelain, and many other marvels in art and knowledge, 
are the natural results of untiring industry and perseverance. A 
Chinese uses no short cuts, resorts to no compendious methods 
for abridging labour : — he is not without ingenious resources to 
accomplish an end, but his aim does not seem to be to save time. 
We are indebted to Mr. Tradescant Lay for the following 
interesting account of the art of embroidery as at present prac- 
tised by the Chinese. " For twenty-two cash or tseen," he says, 
" I purchased an elegant book, filled with choice subjects " of the 
graphic art, as patterns for the use of the young needle-woman. 
She is assumed to be poor, and hence the little manual is priced 
at about one penny of our money. It has a cover of a fair 
yellow, studded with spangles of gold, and contains between two 
and three hundred figures, culled from the varied stores of nature 
and art. In fact, the objects are so well selected and so nu- 
merous, that they might serve as illustrations to a small encyclo- 
paedia. One acquainted with Chinese literature and natural history, 
might deliver several lectures with this book before him. The 
meadow, the grove, the brook, the antiquary's museum, and the 
pages of mythology, with the adornments of the house and 
garden, are all laid under contribution. The book is said to be 
for the use of the person who belongs to the green window^ which 
is an epithet for the dwelling of a poor woman: while the red \ 
gallery denotes the residence of a rich female. The industrious \ 
poor plies her task near the green lattice, which is made of > 
earthenware, and lets in both the light and the breath of heaven ; 
while the rich dame leans upon the vermil-tinted balusters of 
the gaudy verandah, and gazes carelessly at the sunbeams as they j 
sparkle among the flowers, or wooes the soft breeze which agitates • 
the green roof of the Indian fig-trte. The title-page presents us 



EMBROIDERY. 117 

with a venerable man, in the weeds of office, holding in his hand 
a scroll with this motto, ' Heaven's magistrate confers wealth.' 
Over his head are bats disporting among the clouds ; the emblems, 
I suppose, of wakefulness, for these animals are on the alert, while 
men sleep. ' Her candle goeth not out by night,' is what Solomon 
tells us of the needle-woman, whom he eulogizes in the last chapter 
of Proverbs. I once saw two girls at this work in the village 
of Mongha. They were seated upon a low stool, and extended 
their legs across another of twice the height of their seat. In 
this way a support was provided for the frame on which the 
piece to be embroidered was spread forth. Their faces wore a 
sickly hue, which was owing, perhaps, to close confinement and 
the unnatural position in which they were obliged to sit. The 
finest specimens of embroidery are, as far as my observation goes, 
done by men, who stand while at work — a practice which these 
damsels could not imitate, as their feet were small. They were 
poor, but too genteel, in their parents' idea, to do the drudgery 
of the humble housewife, and so their feet were bandaged and 
kept from growing beyond the limits of gentility. Their looks 
were not likely soon to attract a lover, and hence they were 
compelled to tease the sampler from the glistening dawn till dewy 
eve. Much skill and labour are bestowed on the embroidery of 
a plaited skirt worn by ladies, which, with my partiality for what 
is Chinese, I think without a rival for beauty as an article of 
female attire. In the little work before me, several patterns are 
given expressly for this purpose. A curious purse w^orn in the 
girdle of Chinese gentlemen, is also the subject of much of this 
kind of elaboration. Embroidery and figured textures were gener- 
ally in favour with the ancients, so that the discovery was 
thought worthy of a superior agency. In the Old Testament we 
have two kinds, the maase rokem, (opus pkrj/gionicum), in which 



118 EMBROIDERY. 

the figures were inserted by the needle ; and the maase chosehy 
[opus plumarium), in which they were wrought in with the woof. 
The Chinese are fond of retaining what is old, and have preserved 
both these arts in their highest state of perfection."* 

The beautiful embroideries on muslin with cotton by the 
Indians, are well known. Besides these, says M. de St. Aubin, 
" ils emploient sur gaze, des joncs, cuirasses d'insectes, ongles 
et griffes d'animaux, des noyaux et fruits sees, et surtout des 
plumes d'oiseaux: ils entremelent les couleurs sans harmonie 
comme sans gout : ce n'est qu'une espece de mosaique bizarre, qui 
n'annonce aucune intention, et ne represente aucun objet :" — 
a description of embroidery which we should not be tempted to 
imitate. 

The embroidery practised by the Canadian women is much 
more simple and pleasing : they work " avec leurs cheveux et 
autres polls d'animaux : elles representent assez bien les rami- 
fications des agates herborisees, et de plusieurs plantes : elles 
insinuent dans leurs ouvrages des peaux de serpents coupees 
par lanieres, des morceaux de fourrure patiemment raccordes." 

According to M. de Busson, the negresses of Senegal, before 
their marriage, embroider the skins of various beasts, repre- 
senting figures, flowers, and animals, in every variety of colour. 

The Georgians, and particularly the Turkish women, are 
renowned for their embroideries on the lightest and most delicate 
materials, such as crepe and gauze, which they ornament with 
gold thread in a manner unequalled. Their embroideries on 
morocco leather have long been esteemed, on which they work 
the smallest objects in gold passing, without fraying the thread, 
in a way we cannot imitate. According to M. Savary, they 

* The Chinese as they are. 



EMBROIDERY. 119 

formerly often ornamented their embroidery with pieces of money, 
the value of which they did not appear to understand ; a 
circumstance, however, which the Genoese merchants, who had a 
considerable trade in the Levant, turned greatly to their advantage, 
as valuable and interesting coins and medals were frequently found 
in the old garments in which they sometimes trafficked. Besides 
the Turks, the Greek women of the present day, and the inhabi- 
tants of the islands of the Levant, are still celebrated for their 
embroidery, principally of gold and silver. The women of Thera- 
pia on the Bosphorus excel in a most beautiful description of 
work ; it can scarcely, however, be termed embroidery, being rather 
a species of exquisitely fine netting. They represent flowers in 
relief, every petal of which is worked with the utmost exactness. 
These extraordinary productions of the needle, unfortunately but 
little known in this country, cannot be sufficiently admired for 
their extreme delicacy and elaborateness. 

In the last and preceding centuries, when embroidery, as an 
article of dress both for men and women, was an object of con- 
siderable importance, the Germans, but more particularly those of 
Vienna, disputed the palm of excellence with the French. At the 
same period, Milan and Venice were also celebrated for their 
embroidery ; but the prices were so excessive, that, according to 
Lamarre, its use was forbidden by sumptuary laws. 

The art of embroidery seems to have attained a higher degree 
of perfection in France, than in any other country ; — it is not 
however, so much practised at the present day. Embroiderers 
formerly formed a great portion of the working population of 
the largest towns ; laws were specially framed for their pro- 
tection, some of which would astonish the work-people of the 
present day. They were formed into a company as early as 
1272, hy Etienne Boileau, Prevot de Paris, under their respective 



120 EMBROIDERY. 

names of '' Brodeurs, Decoupeurs, Egratigneurs, Chasubiters;"— 
their last statutes were framed in 1719. 

In Saxony, embroidery on fine muslin and cambric has been 
carried, to great perfection. In the neighbourhood of Eibenstock, 
and the Erzgebirge, much of the tambour work is done ; this 
is generally sold at the Leipzig fairs, where it is bought by the 
Russian and West Indian merchants ; great quantities are also 
exported to Persia. At Plauen, in the same neighbourhood 
(celebrated for its manufactures in linen, cotton, and muslin), 
much figured lace is also worked, which may be met with at 
the shops in Dresden. The embroideries of Nancy and Paris 
of this description, have of late years attained great excellence, 
and are much sought after. 

With this brief sketch of the history of embroidery, we shall 
now proceed more particularly to mention in what the art consists, 
and the various methods of practising it, as pursued at the pre- 
sent day. 

Embroidery is the art of adding to the surface of woven 
textures, a representation of any object we wish to depict, through 
the medium of the needle, threaded with the material in which 
the work is to be executed. This may be effected by various 
methods, and on most descriptions of fabrics. It will be our en- 
deavour to describe sepaiately the different kinds of work in this 
department, although we greatly fear our want of skill adequately 
to convey the ideas and instruction we desire to communicate. 

SHADED EMBROIDERY. 

" Here the needle plies its busy task, 

The pattern grows ; the well-tlepicted flow'r, 
Wrought patiently into the snowy lawn, 



EMBROIDERY. 121 

Unfolds its bosom ; buds, and leaves, and sprigs, 
And curling tendrils, gracefully dispos'd, 
Follow the nimble finger of the fair : 
A wreath, that cannot fade, of flow'rs that blow 
With most success when all besides decay." 

COWPER. 

Shaded embroidery is the most elegant, the most imitative, and 
the most unlimited in its capabilities, — aptly portraying and ri- 
valling the productions of the painter, whether for historical 
subjects, landscapes, portraits, nature's ever-varying flowers, or the 
Moorish arabesque.* It may also be termed the easiest, although 
the least mechanical, being less subject to rule than any other, as 
the most beautiful effects are often produced, where there appears 
to have been a total indifference, or ignorance, of any attempt at 
a regular embroidery stitch. We trust, nevertheless, that the 
following observations may guide, and be of some use to those 
who wish to commence this species of work. 

The frame being properly dressed (see chap. XII) with the 
material, upon which the pattern has been previously traced and 
shaded, attentively observe the position of the flowers, or what- 
ever the subject may be, and determine the surfaces on which the 
lights would naturally fall : this is more essential, before 
commencing the work, if the intention be to embroider as taste 
may direct, and without copying with a coloured drawing. The 
right hand should always be above the frame, the left beneath • 
and the rule, if any exists, other than what convenience dictates, 



* The arabesque, or moresque, is a style of pattern peculiarly adapted for 
needlework, and was formerly much introduced into pieces of Gobelin tapes- 
try, from the designs of Berin, Gillot, and Watteau. This description of 
ornament originated with the Arabians and Moors, who were prohibited by 
their religion from using human and animal representations. Many of the 
beautiful paintings on the walls of the Alhambra have furnished designs for 
needlework. 



16 



122 EMBROIDERY. 

is always to draw the needle upward from the right, and finish the 
stitch by putting it down to the left. It is better to commence 
with the smaller parts, such, for instance, as the stems, buds, and 
leaves, in a group of flowers : and the first care and attention 
should be bestowed on the obtaining and preserving a neat and 
clear outline. This, it will quickly be perceived, is essential, both 
to the perfection of the design, and to the execution of the work. 
The edges and rounder parts, both of the leaves and petals of 
flowers, embrace more surface, and are generally worked with the 
palest tints, as they naturally receive the light first, and more 
particularly attract the eye. In order properly to blend the 
shadows, as in painting, the stitches should be of different lengths ; 
and it is generally easier to put in the next colour, by bringing 
the needle up to the left, and putting it in again to the right, 
finding with tact the best hiding place for the blending shade. 
When one half of the leaf is done, commence and work the other 
in the same manner, and finish by veining it according to nature. 
When the leaves are all worked, the flowers should be done in a 
similar manner. The centres of many full-blown flowers, such as 
dahlias and roses, are sometimes represented by what is termed 
French knotting: this is done by forming a loop round the needle 
with the silk, which should be tightly drawn round it as it is 
passed from the upper to the under side of the work: it is better 
to begin with the centre knot, as a more perfect round can be 
formed than if commenced on the outer circle. The veining of 
the leaves, and the small stems, are formed by making a stitch 
about the sixteenth of an inch long, then, in the next stitch, 
putting the needle half-way back intf> the preceding one, and 
working it the same length as the first, forming a kind of finely 
twisted cord ; this demands great neatness in its execution, but 
it gives, if properly done, the best finish to the work. 



EMBROIDERY. 123 

The stitches, in this description of embroidery, should be made 
as long as possible, where the work will admit of their being 
so, as the brilliancy of the silk is destroyed by crowded and 
short stitches. It is advisable, as much as possible, to avoid 
touching the silk by drawing it through the fingers when working. 
All flowers of the same kind should not be done with the same 
shades of colour : thus, suppose there are three white flowers of 
the same description, on the same spot, and that eight shades of 
silk are required properly to embroider them ; — for one, a greater 
portion of the five lightest tints would be used ; in the next, the 
middle shades might predominate ; and, in the third, a greater 
quantity of the dark, depending of course on their position, and 
the skill of the needlewoman. In shading, five gradations of 
tint may usually be considered a sufiicient number ; but more or 
less may be requisite. The veining of the leaves may be done 
either with light or dark shades, according as the light falls, and 
nature dictates, or as the colours demand for effect. 

Historical subjects, landscapes, and portraits, are best worked 
with wool, as greater varieties of neutral tints can be more readily 
procured ; whilst the brighter, smaller, and more fanciful designs, 
can be successfully executed with silks. A mixture of these two 
materials, should always be avoided, when an endeavour is made 
to copy nature. 

German and English wools, are both equally applicable for the 
purposes of embroidery : but, where a variety of shades are re- 
quired, the former is of course to be preferred. Worsted and 
crewels were formerly much used, — the magnificent works of Miss 
Linwood are all done with these materials. When wool is used, 
the needle should be long-eyed, and threaded, by doubling the 
wool into a loop at one end, and inserting it into the eye of the 
needle. Embroidery with wool may be executed as beautifully and 



124 E3IBR01DERY. 

as minutely as wftli silk : it may also be done, to produce a good 
effect, by a much coarser and less delicate mode of working, as 
applicable for the hangings of windows, and beds, table-covers, and 
other large pieces of needlework for furniture. 

For shaded embroidery, mitorse, Dacca, and floss silks are all 
used. For some fine descriptions of work netting and dram silks 
are preferred. The French and Chines-, whose embroideries in 
silk far surpass those of the English. g^neijUy employ mitorse. 
The double embroidery done in China, with this material, is too 
well known to need description. Chenille may likewise be em- 
ployed, but this forms a description of work which we shall have 
to describe elsewhere. 

It is unnecessary for us to instance the almost innumerable 
variety of purposes to which this description of embroidery may 
be applied. To whatever end needlework has been, or is likely 
to be de^i-^ned. it is equally suited : although, since the intro- 
duction 01 Berlin patterns, it has not been sought after to the 
same extent as formerly ; — but needlework, in common with other 
matters, is subject to the sway of fashion. 

FREXCH. OR PLAT EMBROIDERY. 

This species of embroidery is done without shading, the stitches 
lying smoothly in a diagonal direction close to each other, and 
little or no attention to light and shade being necessary. It is 
often executed with beautiful effect in one colour ; and, for some 
purposes, it may be enriched by the additions of gold or silver, 
in the form of a cord, round the edges. The French excel in 
this kind of work ; it is also done very beautifidly, and at a 
surprisingly small expense, in Scotland, for ladies' dresses and 
other articles. Its excellence is best displayed when worked with 



EMBROIDERY. 125 

mitorse silk; it is then, also, the most durable, not fraying in the 
wear, or so quickly losing its glossy appearance as when done 
with floss or Dacca silk. It is also very rich when worked with 
wool. When an imitation of gold is desired, netting silk of the 
proper colour may be advantageously employed. From the annexed 
engraving some idea of the direction of the stitches may be formed. 




Flat embroidery is suitable for articles of furniture and dress, 
and an almost endless variety of small ornamental works, — such 
as bags, folios, sachets, slippers, hand-screens, note and cigar 
cases, &:c. 

EMBROIDERY IN CHENILLE. 

Chenille may be employed for almost every description of em- 
broidery, — whether shaded, flat, or raised ; it may also be worked 
on a variety of materials, but those which possess a smooth and 
glossy surface, best contrast with its velvet-like appearance. Che- 
nille may be used for embroidering on canvas, more particularly 
Berlin canvas: when it is well calculated for cheval, and pole- 
screens, as well as hand-screens. It is frequently used on wire 
canvas, but the wire frays the chenille too much in the working, 
and renders it poor when finished. When working with chenille 
on canvas, a needle with a round eye may be used, as a thick 
needle will pass through the interstices of the canvas without 
injuring it; bat, if on a closer material, such as satin, for instance, 
a long-eyed needle is better, in. order to avoid injury, by making 
too large a hole. 



126 EMBROIDERY. 

Chenille being an expensive material, tte study of a little 
economy in the mode of using it, may not be amiss. The waste 
at the back of the work should be avoided as much as possible : 
— this may be done, by bringing the needle close up to the last 
stitch, and not crossing it at the back. It is easy to measure 
or guess the length of the needleful requisite for working each 
particular part, and to cut it as short as possible, to prevent 
the using of the same portion again^ and also to draw a very 
short piece through the eye of the needle. The necessity of making 
knots in fastening oa may be obviated, by working a small 
stitch or two on the part intended to be covered. In shaded 
embroidery, matting the stitches too closely together should be 
avoided, or the veloute appearance of the chenille will be de- 
stroyed. 

In embroidering with chenille, the shades will be required to be 
much closer than with silk : six gradations of shade, at least, 
should be used. In flat embroidery, the stitches should be regular, 
but not closer than will admit of the chenille lying roundly on 
the surface. In fancy patterns, it is pretty when edged, or 
mixed, with gold. Small chenille, called by the French chenille 
a broder, is the kind usually employed for embroidery, but for 
coarse canvas work there is a larger size. 

Chenille is best adapted for working such articles as are not 
subject to pressure, or liable to much exposure to dust, from 
which it would be difficult to free it. For work protected by 
glass, it is beautiful, but it requires extreme care in the mounting. 

There is another method of using chenille, which was formerly 
much the fashion, where effect only at a distance was required. 
The chenille, instead of being worked on with a needle, as in 
common embroidery, was only laid on the surface of the material 
and securely tacked down by a fine waxed silk of the same 



EMBROIDERY. 127 

colour, the ends of the chenille being carried through with a 
needle to the back of the work. 



EMBROIDERING COATS OF ARMS. 

FTeraldic displays may be embroidered in wool, silk, gold, and 
silver, but the stitches should always be placed in the direction 
of the lines by which the herald represents his colours. For 
instance, — in azure^ the stitches should be laid parallel across the 
escutcheon ; in gules^ perpendicular ; in vert, diagonally, from left 
to right ; in purpure, diagonally from right to left ; in sable, the 
position of the stitches is optional, provided they represent the 
field as formed of small close squares. The partition lines, 
whether horizontal, embattled, nebuly, rayonne, &c., as also those 
which divide the quarterings of the shield, may be formed by a 
line, in the same manner as the veining of leaves of flowers, or, 
with greater precision and effect, by using a round silk gimp, 
which must be neatly attached by means of a fine sewing silk • 
the size of the gimp depending, of course, on the magnitude of 
the coat of arms. When objects in heraldry are blazoned proper, 
they may be shaded as in other kinds of embroidery, as may 
also, in general, the supporters, the lambrequin or mantling, the 
badges, collars, scrollage, and other ornamental devices. Mottos 
may be worked in embroidery, like the partition lines, over that 
part which has already been worked. 

Coats of arms and crests may be executed entirely in fine black 
silk, and with perfect effect, by paying attention to the position 
of the stitches ; allowing the ground to be visible, as displayed 
in the old embroidery termed print work. They may be worked 
in this manner for the insides of covers of valuable books and 
albums. 



128 EMBROIDERY. 



RAISED EMBROIDERY. 



This kind of embroidery is extremely pretty in fancy pieces 
for working animals, birds, shells, fruit, or flowers ; it may be 
done with either silk, wool, or chenille. The pattern must be 
traced, and the material framed, as usual ; then commence a 
foundation for the raised parts by working, with coarse cotton or 
wool, layer upon layer, in long stitches, until the outline of the 
design is closely approached, paying attention at the same time to 
the shape of the object. When this is finished, begin the em- 
broidery over it with a long needle, and shade in the usual 
manner, passing the needle through the whole substance of the 
foundation, which will the more easily be done should it be 
formed of wool. Fruit and shells may be most admirably imi- 
tated by this mode of embroidery ; but it is not always successfully 
accomplished by ladies, as, besides taste and skill, it requires a 
certain knack, which hw but the experienced embroiderer can 
attain. Needlework, as prepared for ladies, has generally the 
objects thus represented ready worked, the other portions of the 
design being left for them to execute. This kind of raised em- 
broidery may be done on canvas ; it may also be worked on 
holland, and afterwards transferred. Wool and chenille may both 
be used, but it can be done with the greatest perfection with silk. 
Floss, Dacca, and mitorse silks, are all suitable, appropriating 
them according as they resemble the objects to be imitated ; for 
some descriptions of shells, mitorse would be the best, for others 
floss silk. 

Flowers, such as roses, on a very reduced scale, for sprig work, 
may be beautifully and easily executed in this description of 
embroidery : floss or Dacca silk should be used. A small round 



EMBROIDERY, 129 

must first be slightly raised with cotton ; then commence the 
centre of the rose with two or three small French knots, and 
form the flower by working round them in small stitches, keeping 
the middle of the darkest shades ; the stitches should partly cross 
each other, so as to give the appearance of one leaf over another. 
If skilfully done, the centre of the flower should have the sunken 
appearance which it has in nature. If worked too large, their 
beauty and effect will be lost. Four shades of silk will be 
found sufiicient. 

RAISED CUT EMBROIDERY IN WOOL. 

Raised work of this kind has been brought to great perfection, 
particularly in Fr^j.nce, both for flowers, birds, and animals. A 
peculiar kind of mesh, made of steel, should be used, which serves 
the double purpose of mesh and knife, as by merely drawing it 
through the looped stitches it cuts them more regularly than could 
be done with the scissors. 



The stitch employed is the most essential part of the work, as 
it must neither unravel, nor pick out when finished. 1 he design 
should be traced on the cloth or other material, which is to be 
firmly framed with holland at the back; a coloured drawing will 
be required for a pattern, as the work does not present its proper 
appearance whilst in progress. 

The mode of working is difficult to express in writing: — with 
the steel mesh on the surface of the material, pass the needle, 
threaded with the proper wool, from the upper to the under side, 
leaving an end to form part of the stitch ; bring the needle up 



17 



130 EMBROIDERY. 

again on the farther side of the mesh, and crossing the wool over 
the mesh, put the needle in again to the left of the stitch first 
made, then, bring the needle up on the further side of the mesh 
as before, and repeat the stitch, taking care that the needle is 
always put in on the upper side, to the left of the preceding stitch. 
One row of stitches must be completed, before another is com- 
menced, fastening oif, and changing the colours of the wool, ac- 
cording to the design. It must be worked as regularly and as 
closely as possible, in parallel lines, forming a kind of chain stitch 
at the back. When the row is finished, draw the mesh through, 
so as to cut the loops across. It will be found more convenient 
to employ two meshes, drawing them out alternately as the work 
proceeds. When the whole of the object is finished working, it 
must be thoroughly combed, so as entirely to separate the fibres 
of the wool ; it will then most probably appear an unshapen 
mass, but this will be of no consequence, as the scissors must 
then take their part towards the completion of the design. These 
should be very sharp and pointed, and rather large, but otherwise, 
no particular kind is required. Commence by gradually shearing 
the centre, forming an even surface, and when the peluche is a 
little reduced, the distinct colouring, with something of the natural 
form, will appear: the shearing must then be slowly persevered 
in, cutting the edges and other parts where a less raised appear- 
ance is required, until the whole assumes the perfectly smooth 
and rounded form desired. In animals and birds, small glass eyes 
of suitable size, may be inserted, — these, partly buried in the 
wool, and not too prominent, produce a pleasing eifect. 

This description of work is best adapted to succeed on cloth ; 
if properly done, it should be extremely firm and solid, so that 
if trodden upon, it will be but little injured. It is also very 
durable. Small birds in raised work, for hand screens, on white 



EMBROIDERY. 131 

watered silk, have a very pleasing and pretty appearance, and may 
be easily executed. Raised work is adapted for a variety of 
purposes, but for chairs and pillows it is objectionable, on account 
of its hard uneven surface. 

The method we have described will be found the best, where 
perfection in raised work is sought for ; but a more simple mode 
of working, over a common wooden mesh, and cutting with the 
scissors, in a similar manner to the raised edges of urn rugs, is 
frequently adopted with success, but the work seldom bears any 
comparison with the former, either in beauty or durability. 

EMBROIDERY IN GOLD AND SILVER. 

Embroidery as executed by ladies, with gold and silver, has 
not a very extensive range ; it consists principally of needlework 
for altar cloths, bags, sachets, folios, and smaller articles ; but it is 
frequently introduced intermixed with other materials, to heighten 
and improve their effect. 

For that description of embroidery technically termed guimped 
embroidery, the pattern must be drawn on the material, and the 
figures of the pattern also cut in parchment, vellum, or cloth, 
over which the gold or silver is sewn with a fine silk thread. 
Embroidery on the stamp, is a similar kind, but here, the figures 
being higher and more prominent, are raised by means of wool 
or cotton, which gives them a much more rounded appearance. 
For embroidering with gold and silver, the frame should be dressed 
with fine holland, to which the material intended to form the 
groundwork must be carefully tacked. When gold passing is used, 
a round-eyed needle should be employed, and some pattern should 
be obtained to show the direction of the stitches, on the great 
regularity of which depends the principal excellence of the work. 



132 EMBROIDERY. 

If the embroidery be in bullion, a small needle threaded with a 
waxed gold-coloured silk must be used, on which this material, 
cut into proper lengths, should be strung. The work is some- 
times greatly improved by the intermixture of rough, smooth, and 
checked bullion in the same piece. Embroidery with spangles 
is quickly done, and very showy where much glittering effect is 
desired. Coronets, initials, and mottos, have a very rich appear- 
ance when properly embroidered in gold, — the cap of the coronet 
being composed of velvet* 



EMBROIDERY IN TAMBOUR. 

This is another description of embroidery, worked with a 
notched or tambour needle, which, although its value has been 
much deterioiated by the successful attempts at imitation with 
machinery, still claims our attention as a very pretty and easy 
kind of work. We have seen patterns of arabesques and flowers 
very beautifully executed in tambour with silk, intermixed with t 
gold, on satin. Braiding patterns are elegant when worked in 



* The art of embroidery with gold appears to a great degree lost, or to have 
fallen into disuse. From the few examples of ancient Catholic vestments that 
have escaped destruction, the generality of persons are but little acquainted 
with the extreme beauty of the embroidery worked for ecclesiastical purposes 
during the Middle Ages. The countenances of the images were executed 
with perfect expression, like miniatures in illuminated manuscripts. Every 
])arochial church, previous to the Reformation, was furnished with complete sets 
of frontals and hangings for the altars. One of the great beauties of the an- 
cient embroidery was its appropriate design ; each flower, each leaf, each device 
had a significant meaning with reference to the festival to which the vestment 
belonged. Such was the extreme beauty of the English vestments in the reign 
of Henry III, that Innocent IV. forwarded bulls to many English bishops, 
enjoining them to send a certain quantity of embroidered vestments to Rome, 
for the use of the clergy there. 



EMBROIDERY. 133 

this stitch, especially in shades — a species of needlework executed 
with great elaborateness on cachemir and merino, in the Levant. 
Fine netting silk is the material best adapted for working in 
tambour : it is also very beautiful with gold passing on white 
crepe. 

The material on which tambour work is to be executed, must 
have the pattern traced on it, and should be stretched either in a 
tambour* or square embroidery frame. In working, the right 
hand, which directs the needle, should always be above the frame, 
and the left beneath, to supply the silk or cotton, which is caught 
by the hook of the tambour needle, and drawn up through the 
work so as to form a loop on its surface ; the needle should 
then be passed through that loop, and, piercing the material, be 
again drawn up with another loop on its hook, which is drawn 
through the first; a third and fourth, and so on, are then made, 
drawing each succeeding loop through the former. In flowers 
and leaves, it is advisable to work the outline of each first, and 
fill up the centres with successive rows of stitches. Round or 
oval leaves should be commenced on the outside, and worked one 
row within another, terminating in the centre. The points of 
leaves require great care in the disposal of the stitches, in order 
to give a neatness and finish to the work. The stalks may be 
worked either in single, double, or treble rows, as their size re- 
quires, and according to the coarseness of the material employed. 

The elegant embroideries and tambour work on net, muslin, 
and cambric, do not come within the scope of our department 
of decorative needlework, but the above directions are equally 
applicable to them. 



* See page 96. 



134 EMBROIDERY. 

Chain stitch^ an imitation of tambour work, is generally done 
on the hand with a common sewing needle, looping the stitches 
in a similar manner to that above described.* 



* It would have been supposed that embroidery, the work of ladies' fingers, 
could never have been supplanted by machinery, yet such is the case. At the 
exposition of the products of national industry at Paris in 1834, a M. Heilmann, 
of Mulhause, exhibited a machine he had invented, by which a female could 
embroider with eighty or one hundred and forty needles, more accurately and 
expeditiously than she formerly could with one. This remarkable invention 
attracted considerable notice at the time; and several of these machines are 
now used in France, Germany, and Switzerland, and also at Manchester, 
where much of the sprigged embroidery for ladies' dresses is done, at a price 
which human labour cannot compete with, as it onl}' requires the superintend- 
ence of one grown up person and two children, to do the daily work of fifteen 
expert embroiderers. The latter are merely employed to change the needles 
when all the thread is used, and to see that no needle misses its pincers, 
which, in this machine, supply the place of the finger and thumb of the em- 
broiderer. We cannot here enter into a description of this machine, but the 
following short account by Dr. Ure may not be uninteresting: — " The operative 
must be well taught to use the machine, for he has many things to attend to: 
with the one hand he traces out, or rather follows the design, with the point 
of the pantograph ; with the other he turns a handle to plant and pull all the 
needles, which are seized by pincers, and moved along by carriages, approaching 
to, and receding from, the web, rolling all the time a.long an iron railway ; 
lastly, by means of two pedals, upon which he presses alternately wath one foot 
and the other, he opens the one hundred and thirty pincers of the first car- 
riage, which ought to give up the needles after planting them in the stuff, and 
he shuts with the same pressure the one hundred and thirty pincers of the 
second carriage, which is to receive the needles, to draw them from the other 
side, and to bring them back again." 

Having so far trespassed, we cannot better conclude the subject of imitations 
of the needle, than by quoting the following beautiful lines from Barry 
Cornwall : — 

THE WEAVER'S SONG. 

" Wkavk, brothers, weave ! — Swiftly throw 
The shuttle athwart the loom, 
And show us how brightly your flowers grow, 
That have beauty but no perfume! 



EMBROIDERY. 135 

Comp, show us the rose, wiih a hundred dyes, 

The lily, that hath no spot ; 
The violet, deep as your true love's eyes, 

And the little forget nie-not ! 

Sing,— sing, brothers ! weave and sing I 

^Tis good both to sing and to weave: 
^Tis better to work than live idle, 

^Tis better to sing than grieve. 

" Weave, brothers, weave ! — Weave, and bid 

The colours of sunset glow ! 
Let grace in each gliding thread be hid ! 

Let beauty about ye blow ! 
Let your skein be long, and your silk be fine, 

And your hands both firm and sure, 
And time nor chance shall- your work untwine,, 

But all, — like a truth, — endure I 

So, — sing, brothers, S^c. 

'■'■ Weave, brothers, weave ! — Toil is ours ; 

But toil is the lot of men : 
One gathers the fruit, one gathers the flowers, 

One soweth the seed again ! 
There is not a creature, from England's King, 

To the peasant that dilves the soil, 
That knows half the pleasures the seasons bring, 

If he have not his share of toil ! 

So,— sing, brothers, ^c^ 



CHAPTER XV 



aHanvas tDork. 



" The threaded steel 
Flies swiftly, and unfelt the task proceeds." 

COWPER. 

■ " In needleworks and embroideries, it is more pleasing to have a lively 

work upon a sad and solemn ground, than to have a dark and melancholy 
work upon a lightsome ground." 

Bacon. 

HE reason for comprising the various sub- 
= jects included in this chapter under one head, 
is, that they are so intimately connected one 
^M. with the other, that the rules relating to 
^^ . r -^^^^ - them, if any exist (a point on which we are 
ourselves sceptical), are of so general a nature as to apply partly 
to all. Certain it is, as has been elsewhere observed, that " there 
is a right and a wrong way of doing everything;" yet as we 
have so often seen beautiful effects produced without attention 
to rules, we feel extremely diffident in pronouncing any as im- 
peratively necessary, except that of observing the o'ight way of the 



CANVAS WORK. 137 

stitch. Beautiful groundings, both in cross and tent stitch, 
have been executed diagonally, as well as in straight lines ; as 
also, when in cross stitch, where the whole piece has been half 
stitched one way before it has been crossed. The following 
rules and observations, therefore, are intended rather to show 
one certain and easy plan for attaining success in this branch 
of needlework, than to be considered as exclusive of all others. 
They are founded on observation, and the experience of those 
who have spent the greater part of what may be termed long 
lives in the practical part of each department. Every day 
shows how much there is still to improve and to learn in the 
art ; and past days have often taught us how much we have 
been indebted to the superior taste and elegance of idea of 
those with whom our vocation has brought us in contact. 

It is obvious that all Berlin patterns are intended for tent 
or single stitch, the cheeks on the pattern corresponding with 
the squares in the canvas, excepting designs where the faces 
and hands are drawn on a smaller scale ; these can only be 
worked either in cross or Gobelin stitch. Some Berlin patterns, 
when closely shaded, and of a general uniformity of tint, lose 
none of their effect when enlarged by working in cross stitch, 
and even if copied on a gigantic scale, please from their bold- 
ness, whilst others, less calculated to be enlarged, are deprived 
of all grace, and become mere distorted masses of colouring. 
When it is intended to increase the scale of a pattern by working 
in cross stitch on a coarse canvas, the colours should be selected 
from the middle tints, avoiding very strong lights and shades, a 
rule to be observed whether the ground be light or dark. Ger- 
man wools may be used for working flower pieces ; but English 
wool will be found smoothest and best for the grounding, or real 
German worsted perhaps is even preferable, and, in very large 



18 



138 CANVAS WORK. 

pieces, botli durability and economy, besides comfort in working, 
will be attained by tbe use of either. In cross stitch, when 
the size of the pattern is not increased above one third, the 
design will not be essentially altered, and the taste and fancy 
of the needlewoman may be pleased in the choice of her subject, 
regardless of the difference in size. Cross stitch on one thread, 
is generally much admired, but it is not calculated for a can- 
vas finer than twenty threads to the inch ; coarser than that, 
all sizes are equally suitable. Cross stitch on one thread 
appears finer than cross stitch when worked the same size on 
two threads ; it is more raised, and where it is fine greatly adds 
to the facility of working on a comparatively coarse canvas. 
When the human figure is worked in cross stitch, the face and 
hands should certainly be executed in the same ; but Berlin 
patterns having these parts drawn on a smaller scale, must thus 
be copied, unless we attempt the very difficult task of alteration. 
This, however, may be a matter of taste, as designs thus worked 
are, by many persons, greatly admired : nevertheless we cannot 
approve of the plan of sinking these portions of the picture, 
by making four stitches in the place of one. 

As a general rule, it is better to commence all patterns 
which are to form a centre, whether for chair seats, cushions, 
bags, or other articles, on the middle stitch, either on Berlin 
canvas, cloth, or on canvas intended to be grounded ; but for 
figure pieces and historical subjects there are obvious reasons why 
it is preferable to begin at the bottom. The stitches are easier 
to work upwards, and they better accommodate themselves to 
each other ; and as the lower part is generally less observed 
than the upper, the sky, which is the most delicate, is worked 
last, and does not require to be rolled, nor is the work so 
likely to be uneven when taken out of the frame. 



CANVAS WORK. 139 

It is curious that tlie groundings one of the most particular 
parts of the work, should generally be deemed of such minor 
importance. Although a tedious and uninteresting process, yet 
when properly accomplished, it fully repays the trouble bestowed. 
To ground well, requires great practice and experience. It is fully 
appreciated by many persons, as the first observation on seeing a 
fine specimen of canvas work is — " the beautiful grounding !" 

In grounding, it is advisable to begin at the bottom of the 
canvas, in the left hand corner. Above all things, the wool 
should be suited to the size of the canvas, the threads of which 
it should perfectly conceal. The needleful of wool should be 
short, both on account of soiling and impoverishing as it passes 
through the canvas, and a very small portion only should be 
passed through the eye of the needle. Fiaishing off on the same 
spot should always be avoided; and, instead of making knots, the 
wool should be brought up and worked over. When grounding 
is done on the hand, run the wool through a few stitches at the 
back of the work. Although not impossible, it is extremely dif- 
ficult to ground fine canvas with pale blue, buff, straw, salmon, 
or grey ; complaints are made against the worker and the wool, 
when the colour is an almost insurmountable obstacle. A white 
or light coloured ground should never be attempted on any but 
the whitest canvas, nor should subjects where a sky is to be de- 
picted ever be worked on any other. Delicate scarlet, smalt blue, 
various drabs, dark purple, Spanish brown, gold colour, chrysophas 
green, claret, and marron, if well chosen, are all both durable and 
good colours for grounding. There is so much difficulty with 
black, on account of its sometimes soiling the fingers and work, 
that it is not, generally speaking, advisable, and at all times, 
except for gem patterns, it has a decidedly harsh appearance. 
Many of the neutral tints, which appear very beautiful as grounds 



143 CANVAS WORK. 

by dayliglit, mix with the greens and olives by candle-light, and 
completely destroy their effect. It is at all times important to 
secure at one time a sufficient quantity of the colour for grounding 
a piece of work, or it may otherwise be impossible afterwards 
exactly to ::iatcli it. 

Gobelin, or tapestry stitch^ to look well should be worked on a 
fin'; c -Tioderately fine canvas; it is prettiest with single wool; — 
on a -iry fine canvas it is beautiful. A canvas was made about 
four years since, expressly for this stitch, but it has not been 
much used in England, as Berlin patterns could not be worked 
upon it, the threads of the warp and woof being unequal in size. 
For patterns drawn on the canvas it is decidedly good, although 
not adapted for count icork. In Gobelin stitch, the colours should 
be chosen as close as possible, but bright lights and dark shades 
may nevertheless be introduced. Silk should not be used, or only 
when the work is very fine. 

A good eye for colours is a natural gift,* and though this, like 
every other faculty, may be greatly improved by cultivation and 
practice, yet quick discernment and natural good taste will cause 
some to excel in the adaptation of colours more than others; but 
to the most talented, length of time and patience are necessary to 
a perfect knowledge of colouring — hence the difficulty of sorting 
Berlin patterns. " The numberless tints of greys, buffs, browns, 
maizes, salmons, eslerhazys. lilacs, and greens, f not to mention the 



* According to the views of phrenologists, the eyes, although affected agree- 
ably or disagreeably by the different modifications of the beams of light, or of 
colours, yet do not conceive the relations of diff'erent colours, their harmony or 
discord, and have no memory of them. Certain individuals are almost destitute 
of the power of perceiving colours, who yet have the power of vision acute. — 
Vide Gall, Sur les Fondinns dn Cerveau, torn. v. 

t To the artist, the names of some of the colours employed in needlework 
may appear curious, but he must remember that wools and silks cannot be laid 



CANVAS WORK. 



141 



more easily distinguished pinks, scarlets, geraniums, blues, and 
yellows, require greater ability for their arrangement and disposi- 
tion than at first would be supposed, and can only be understood 
by those who have devoted much attention to them. 

There are at least twelve distinct hues of green, and every one 
of these has perhaps twenty gradations of tint, the right method 
of intermixing which gives the beautiful effect to the leaves of a 
well-sorted group of flowers. It would be tedious to our readers 
to enter fully into a description of each, we will therefore only 
instance three shades of rose leaves. 

A bright green rose leaf may be worked with five shades of 
colour — a dark Saxon green, two grass greens, and two Austrian 
greens. A dark green rose leaf will require black, two French 
greens, and two Devonshire greens. For a faded rose leaf a 
black, two rose greens, a yelbw olive, or a light yellow green, 
will be required. The colours for a rose should be a bright 
ponceau^ a rose pink, and three distinct shades of a clear pink : 
we may here observe that the effect of pink flowers is improved 
by their proximity to whites and rich yellow-greens. For a damask 
rose, black, two clarets, geranium, scarlet, and red pink, should be 
used. For a while rose, let the contrast be greatest in the darker 
shades — they cannot be too soft in the lighter. Where silk is 
used for the highest lights, white wool may also be taken for 
the second tint. White flowers may be worked either wiih 
green whites, slates, or silver greys, according to the nature of 
the flower: but all must be as delicate as possible, and harsh 



on a palette, and mixed according to tlie precise tint required; nor can th(7, 
after they have been inserted, he retouclietl, or their effect heightened or sub- 
dued at command, as in painting. Hence, instead of a few sim{)le colours from 
which all tints can be produced, the needlewoman is obliged to employ several 
thousand ; and it becomes necessary to distinguish them one from the other by 
epithets however unscientific. 



142 CANVAS WORK. 

shades in the centres equally avoided. White flowers best contrast 
with rich olive greens. 

Groups of Jioicers, and moresque patterns, should always have 
one or more parts comprised of the hue of the ground; — thus, a 
white flower in a group, worked on a white ground, pleases the 
eye. and imparts a softness to the whole piece. It must not, 
however, be understood that the white flower rests unsurrounded 
on the grounding, or is the most prominent object. Great bril- 
liancy of colour and depth of shade may be used on light grounds, 
but the introduction of black in the leaves and flowers, and all 
dark harsh edges on the ground, should be avoided as much as 
possible. On dark grounds, the brightest colours should occupy 
the centre, the white flowers should be well shaded, the pinks and 
yellows full, the blues clear, but not light ; the lilacs of a bluish 
tinge, the crimsons of a yellow tinge ; rich harre colours, and 
black in most of the leaves; the flowers, and the other parts 
resting on the ground, should be bright but not light. The 
brightest edges of the flowers and leaves, should be those which 
are in the centre of the group. 

In fiesh colours there are six or eight hues, and at least twelve 
tints in each. We can only say that the pattern sorter must 
use his or her judgment in selecting from these to match the pat- 
tern, or improve it by making the colours more conformable to 
what is intended to be expressed, or rather to nature. 

Blues, not being generally good, require great care in selecting; 
hence, it is better to use the middle tints in every case where it 
is possible, as being the best : black is almost always an improve- 
ment for the darkest colour, and the leaves round blue flowers 
should be yellow-greens and olives, if at all admissible. 

The above remarks are intended for those who have not much 
studied the art of colouring, and to put them on their guard 



CANVAS WORK. 143 

against a too common error in needlework, the over anxiety for 
bright colours. Brightness of coljuring, is produced by opposi- 
tion, — the intensity of sun-shine can only be manifest by 
immediate contrast with utter darkness. So it is in colouring ; 
the neutral tints and dark shades give life to the brighter and 
more glowing hues. This we have endeavoured to impress by 
the few remarks we have ventured to make relative to the dispo- 
sition of colouring on various grounds, where we have attempted 
to show, that harmony of tone, not opposition between the object 
and the ground, is to be desired. We again revert to the 
colouring of a white or light object, for the sake of instancing 
one of the errors frequently committed in needlework. We 
have seen the " Return from Hawking" worked on fine canvas, 
with the white horse very well shaded, except that, with a view 
of adding to the effect, white wool, heightened by a considerable 
portion of white silk, was introduced. This change of material, 
and its extra whiteness, instead of producing the desired intent, 
destroyed the roundness of the body of the animal, and gave a 
concave appearance to those parts intended to be the most promi- 
nent. When white silk is employed, its colour is essential ; the 
hue should assimilate with that of the wool, and this must be 
carefully borne in mind in every case where silk (whatever its 
colour may be) is introduced. In a subject similar to the above^ 
however, its introduction is at all times better avoided. 

In painting, colouring has been divided into that which is 
necessary for rendering the imitation just and intelligible, and that 
which is expedient or ornamental^ as contributing io make the 
work at once more harmonious and delightful to the eye. In the 
first, truth in the local tints is alone required, but the second 
demands discernment both in their selection and distribution. 
This has been aptly illustrated by the following example : — let us 



144 CANVAS WORK. 

suppose the principal figure in a piece to be dressed in sky-blue, 
and another figure near it, of less consequence in the subject, to 
be represented in scarlet, with an under vestment of bright yellow, 
and let the light be made to strike equally on both : in such a 
case, it would be utterly impossible to give an effect agreeable or 
harmonious to the picture, although each of these objects should 
be painted with the utmost exactness and truth ; nay, the combi- 
nation, though found in nature itself, would excite feelings of 
disgust and aversion ; whereas, if the principal figure were dressed 
in scarlet and white draperies, and the figure next it in blue, if 
not too light or bold a tint, the eifect would be harmonious and 
pleasing : and another point of great importance would be gained, 
as the eye would then be attracted by the principal figure, 
which could not have been the case in the former instance, where 
the gaudy combination of yellow and red must infallibly, as is 
natural with all warm colours, have first obtruded itself into 
notice. The want of harmony in colouring is as offensive to 
the eye as discordant sounds are to the ear. Gaudy colouring 
would more frequently offend, were not the judgment sometimes 
warped by the prejudice that excellence consists in brilliancy. 

Patterns drawn on canvas must be shaded according to the 
drawing, without any attempt at counting stitches. Arabesques 
may in general be commenced by working the veining of the 
foliage and darkest tints first, which really is not difficult, as 
the principal features of the drawing are in dark lines. The 
second, third, and fourth shades may follow : in these also there 
is little difficulty ; but in the fifth and sixth shades (If a sixth is 
used) more attention will be required, as it is only in those parts 
on which the light falls that the brightest tints are to be placed, 
and these, or one of them at least, should be in silk. Berlin 
patterns possess such superiority over any drawn patterns of 



CANVAS WORK. 145 

flowers for canvas work, that it is unnecessary to lay down any 
rules for working the latter. Landscapes, figure pieces, still life, 
and animals, even when properly drawn on the material, require 
the talent of an artist to execute. Patterns of geins require but 
little shade, and borrow most of their beauty from their arrange- 
ment and the gold colours in which they are set. Birds are not 
difficult to work when drawn on the canvas : the variety of 
colours in their plumage divides the parts into small portions, 
but the outline must be correct, and the colours clearly marked. 

CresU and coals of arms are more easily worked on canvas 
when copied from a pattern drawn and coloured on checked 
paper. This may easily be procured, by giving the designer an 
impression from a seal, or a slight sketch of the emblazonment in 
pencil, when (if he be sufficiently versed in heraldry) he will ar- 
range them correctly and of the required dimensions. It is to 
be regretted that much labour and expense are often bestowed 
on designs of this kind, which, although not incorrect, heraldically 
speaking, are yet totally devoid of grace and elegance, from the 
artist not sufficiently comprehending the service he is required to 
render the needlewoman. 

In working from Berlin patterns, the introduction of silk with 
wool in the leaves and flowers, on fine canvas, is sometimes an 
improvement. In coarser work, such as cross stitch, with double 
wool, silk is detrimental to the effect, and even more so to the 
wear. In the plumage of birds, and in shells, it may be used, 
and certainly heightens their colouring. In arabesques, silk may 
be considered as indispensable, as also in gem patterns. The 
gold, silver, and steel, in heraldic displays, are improved by the 
addition of silk. Its use in other instances must be left to taste. 

In the former part of this chapter, we have spoken of the en- 
largement of Berlin patterns by working them on a canvas coarser 



19 



146 CANVAS WORK. 

than the checks of the paper. All patterns may be increased or 
diminished in size according as they are worked on fine or coarse 
canvas, or in cross or tent stitch. As an illustration, let us take 
the Berlin pattern of the '• Return from Hawking." If this de- 
sign were worked on mosaic canvas, in tent stitch, it would occupy 
a space of twenty-two inches in width, and sixteen inches in height ; 
but if it were worked on a very coarse canvas, in cross stitch, it 
might be extended to eighteen feet eight inches in width, and 
thirteen feet four inches in height. This pattern counts nine 
hundred stitches in width, and six hundred and forty in height. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



Croirb^t 



" Behold in these what leisure hours demand, — 
Amusement," 

COWPER. 




ROCHET work, although long known and prac- 
tised, did not attract particular attention until 
within the last four years, since which time it 
has been brought to great perfection, and has 
^P been applied with success to the production of 
numerous ornamental works. Shawls, table covers, pillows, otto- 
mans, chairs, rugs, carriage mats, slippers, bags, cabats, purses, 
waistcoats, and a variety of other articles, may be appropriately 
worked in crochet, employing silk, wool, or cotton, as their various 
purposes demand. When wool is used, that kind denominated 
fleecy, is generally preferred. This material, if of a six-thread 
size, with an ivory needle, offers the easiest kind of work with 
which we are acquainted j it may be learned without even looking 
at it, and has therefore been much practised by invalids and 



148 CROCHET. 

persons whose sight either needs relief, or has become impaired. 
All striped patterns may (if desired) be done in narrow' widths, 
and joined in the dividing lines, so that a table-cover may be 
worked in four or six lengths, and afterwards sewn together 
with wool without the least detriment to its appearance. Crochet 
may be done in coarse and fine chenille for pillows, bags, caps, 
and waistcoats: — in crochet silk, for caps, slippers, and bags: — 
in coarse netting silk, it forms strong purses, bags, and slippers ; 
and the most delicate work may be done with the finer silks. 
Gold and silver, — either cord or passing, can be intermixed with 
the chenilles and silks, or employed separately. Gold and steel 
beads may be strung on the silk, and worked in various pat- 
terns, producing a rich and beautiful effect. 

Crochet work may be divided into plain single crochet, plain 
double crochet, plain stitch open crochet, and open crochet with 
one, two, or three stitches. These varieties will be found de- 
scribed as they occur, in the followinsr directions for workinof. 

Crochet, although in itself a most simple stitch, is difficult to 
describe in writing, but we shall endeavour to explain the ele- 
mentary process for the instruction of those to whom it may not 
be familiar. 

Having wound a skein of wool, make a loop at the end, 
through this draw another loop, through this second another, and 
so on, moderately tightening each as it is drawn through, until 
a chain of sufficient length is made to serve as the foundation 
for the article it is intended to make. Pass the needle through 
the last made loop of this foundation, and, catching the silk, 
draw it through, repeating the same at every successive loop ; 
then returning along this row, repeat the same to form a second. 
A repetition of which, alternately backwards and forwards, from 
right to left, and from left to right, will give the first and 



CROCHET. 149 



easiest lesson. The work will be the same on both sides, produ- 
cing by turns one raised and one sunken row. Having accom- 
plished this, we may proceed to make — 



A SOFA PILLOW, OR TABLE COVER. 



A good sized ivory or steel crochet needle, with six- 



thread fleecy, will be required. Instead of working the rows 
backwards and forwards, as before described, begin each row sepa- 
rately at the same end. When the last stitch of each row is 
finished, draw the wool through, and cut it off^ leaving an end 
of three or four inches. It is impossible to determine the exact 
number of stitches. — that must depend on the article, and its 
required size ; but with this description of wool, half a yard in 
length will generally be found to number about sixty-five stitches, 
and a calculation may accordingly be made. The following, it 
is to be understood, is merely given as the easiest pattern. 

First stripe — two rows in black, one dark scarlet, one bright 
scarlet, one light scarlet, one white ; reverse the same to the 
black, which will form a pretty shaded stripe. 

Second stripe — three distinct blues, and one row of white, 
reversing the same, as before, to black. 

Third stripe — three pretty stone colours or drabs, and one white, 
reversed as before, to the black. 

Commence again, as with the first stripe, with scarlet, and 
repeat the three alternately. 

For a moderate sized pillow, one skein of each coloured fleecy 
will be required. 



15Q 



CROCHET. 



AN EASY TURKISH PATTJIRN FOR A TABLE COVER 
OR PILLOW. 




No. 1. 



This is an easy pattern of various colours, for a table cover 
or pillow. The same needle and six-thread fleecy will be re- 
quired. The grounds are formed of white, scarlet, black, gold 
colour, and blue. 

Make the chain in the usual way with black. Then with black 
and scarlet together, work alternately two stitches of each, keeping 
the wool not in use on the top of the chain, bringing it back- 
wards and forwards as required to form the pattern ; it will thus 
be found that the wool not in use will be concealed by the 
stitches which are made over it. 

The colours on the white stripe, are — scarlet, blue, orange, and 
lilac. 

On the scarlet stripe — green, white, lilac, and claret. 

On the black stripe — green, scarlet, gold colour, and lilac. 

On the gold colour — blue, claret, drab, and green. 

On the blue — lilac, white, claret, and gold colour. 

All the stripes are to be divided by the two stitches up and 
down of black. 



CROCHET. 



151 



ANOTHER TURKISH PATTERN FOR A TABLE 
COVER, ETC. 




No. 2. 

This is suitable either for a table cover, counterpane, pillow, 
tbe tops of large ottomans, the cover for a chair, a rug, or a 
bedside carpet. Six-thread fleecy and a steel needle will be re- 
quired. The dividing line is formed of two clarets. The stripes 
are white, gold colour, blue, and scarlet. 

The pattern on the white stripe is worked in two greens, two 
scarlets, two blues, brown, and yellow. 

On the gold coloured stripe — two blues, claret, white, lilac, and 
green. 

On the blue stripe — two scarlets, two greens, drab, white, 
brown, and orange. 

On the scarlet — green, white, two blues, claret, and bright 
yellow. 



J52 CROCHET. 




No 3. 

Six-tliread fleecy, with a steel needle. 

Commence with two plain rows of black, then one row of 
straw colour for the ground of the border, the nine rows of which 
are in shades from the straw colour to dark orange, thus : — two 
of yellow, two of gold colour, two of amber, two of orange, two 
of light red browns, the last of which extends one row below the 
border ; the pattern of the border being in black, or the deep 
rich hhu de France. 

The ground of the centre is a rich full drab. Work one row 
plain, then commence with the pattern as follows. 

On the first row — light blue. 

On the second, third, and fourth rows — middle blue, the three 
centre stitches of the pattern in the third row being black. 
This third row requires great care and neatness as these 
colours are required for working it, which must be hidden except 
where they form part of the pattern. 

On the fifth row — Waterloo blue. . 

On the sixth row — the pattern is light yeflow. 

On the seventh row — dark yellow. 

Repeat the pattern. 



CROCHET 153 



When the square is completed, neatly run in the wools with a 
rug needle, which will produce a firm edge, on which the side 
borders (if desired) may b« crocheted, but it requires great pains 
and some ingenuity to make the corners exactly match. 



ANOTHER TABLE COVER. 




No. 4. 



Commence with four plain rows — the first, claret ; the second, 
middle blue ; the third, claret ; the fourth, scarlet. 

The pattern of the first border is in three shades of blue, — the 
lightest at the top. The outer ground of the border is in scarlet; 
the inner ground of the border is white. Three wools are worked 
at the same time. One row of plain white finishes the border. 

The pattern of the second border is formed thus: — 

First row — white, and middle green. 

Second row — white, and dark green. 

Third row — claret, with a single stitch of white. 

Fourth row — claret, and light green. 

Fifth row — claret, and middle green. 



20 



154 



CROCHET. 



Two rows of plain claret. Then on the claret ground com- 
mence the palm pattern as follows ; — 

First and second rows — two bright greens. 

Third row — bright scarlet. 

Fourth row — scarlet, and white. 

Fifth row — blue, and white. 

Sixth row — blue. 

Seventh row — deep gold colour. 

Eighth row — bright yellow. 

This pattern also requires three different coloured wools in 
many of the rows. It is very handsome. The side border may 
be crocheted on. 

Six-thread fleecy, and a steel needle, will be required. 

SMALL PINE-PATTERN TABLE COYER. 




No. 5. 



The chain and first row — gold colour. 

Second row — black. 

Third row — green. 

Fourth row — gold colour, which continues through the outside 
ground of the border. The inside ground of the border is the 
same as the centre of the table cover, — a rich drab. The pattern of 
the border is composed of three shades of Saxon green, and black. 



CROCHET. 155 

The small pine pattern for centre is : — 
First row — deep gold colour. 
Second row — blue. 
Third row — scarlet. 
Fourth row — white. 

In the next, or reversed row of the pattern, the colours may be 
varied as follow : — 
First row — scarlet. 
Second row — green. 
Third row — lilac. 
Fourth row— white. 

The six patterns above given for table covers, will be found the 
easiest to work in six-thread fleecy ; and are best calculated to 
show in this sized wool ; but they may be worked for pillows, 
and smaller articles, in four-thread fleecy, or even German wool. 
They are perhaps the most effective in eight-thread Hamburgh 
wool, which is about the same size as four-thread fleecy. Ham- 
burgh wool is most durable, and has a more silky appearance 
than fleecy ; it also cleans better by brushing, as, from the closeness 
of its make, it is not so fluffij. The same patterns are also well 
adapted for working in chenille. 

Crochet table covers are made up, by turning in the edges 
neatly, and sewing on a spaced fringe* of the colours of the 
stripes, and a head either of the colour of the dividing line, or 
black. The fringe should be about three or four inches deep. 
They do not require any lining. If the work be for rugs, mats, 



♦ The mode of making a suitable spaced fringe, will be found in the follow- 
ing chapter on knitting. Although we have given directions for a knitted 
fringe in case it should be preferred, yet a woven one will be found much 
firmer and better. 



156 

or carpets, it shou 
with a coarse wool] 
An eight or ten-t 
N.B. In the dir 
crochet, it must be 
mentioned, the plai 
ployed. 


d hj 

en d 
iread 
ectioi 
borne 
n or 

A 


CROCHET. 

ive a firm inside 

oth or baize, 
fleecy may be usee 

IS for working tl 
in mind, that un 
double crochet sti 

CROCHET SLIPPER 


iin 

Ifo 
le ( 
less 
tch 


ing, and be backed 

r the coarser articles. 

liiferent patterns in 

any other stitch be 

is to be always em- 






a 


9 






m 


8 






M 


i 


1 


S^^S 


■#«n 


SB 


S 


3 


9 




S| 


s 


m 






ffi 


B 


B 


The above pattei 
or crochet silk, in 
direction round the 
are as follow : — 

First stripe — yelk 
claret, bright scarlet 

Second stripe — lil 
green, white, and pi 

Third stripe — gre 
slipper. The patte 


No. 6. 

n is intended for a slipp 

stripes across the front, co] 

back. The colours of i 

)w, with the pattern comp 

, and blue. 

ic, the pattern in stone c 

nk. 

en; this stripe is wider the 

rn on it, is composed of s 


3r in German wool 
Qtinued in the same 
he different stripes. 

osed of lilac, green, 

colour, gold colour, 

m any other on the 
carlet, claret, black, 

, 



CROCHET. 157 

gold colour, lilac, white, stone colour, scarlet, blue, gold colour, 
and lilac. 

Fourth stripe — white, pattern in blue, yellow, lilac, green, and 
scarlet. 

Fifth stripe — scarlet, pattern in black, yellow, green, lilac, and 
white. 

Sixth stripe — blue, pattern in gold colour, claret, pink, green, 
and white. 

The narrow stripes are repeated round the back of the slipper, 
the sole of which may be formed of coarse crochet in black. 

For a moderate sized gentleman's-slipper in crochet silk, the 
toe might be commenced with twenty-four stitches, and increased 
in the succeeding rows until the width across the instep were 
eighty stitches, — but as some persons work so much tighter than 
others, a positive number cannot be given. The silk also may 
vary in size, as well as the dimensions required for a slipper. 
The increasing is made by the addition of a stitch on each side 
of the work. 

The stripes in the front of the slipper are yellow, lilac, green, 
and white, which crosses the instep. Count the number of stitches 
across the white stripe, and commence with the scarlet ; the third 
of its width on one side, to form the back. Continue these 
stripes until the back be of sufficient length to be sewn to the 
front on the other side. It is advisable before commencing a 
slipper, to cut a paper pattern of the desired size and shape. 

The above form chaussons to wear over the shoes, or they may 
be made up by the shoemaker in the usual way for slippers, either 
for ladies or gentlemen. In crochet silk they are extremely warm 
and durable. 

The ends of the wool or silk, are to be threaded with a 
needle and run into the work on the inside. 



158 



CROCHET. 



CHANCELIERE. 




As it is impossible to give the exact number of stitcbes, — 
eacb row varying, — it is advisable to cut a sbape in stiff paper 
of a proper size, as tbe pattern, first of tbe top, and then of the 
border. Where it is requisite to increase the width of the work, 
it must be done by making an extra stitch on each side. The 
stitches of the band are to be worked in a contrary direction to 
those of the top, as shewn in the above engraving. — The annexed 
pattern will be found suitable for a chanceliere. 




No. 7. 



CROCHET. 159 

Commence at the toe by working two plain rows of ground 
in scarlet, and crocliet the centre stripe of the pattern in a rich 
green, on the same coloured ground. 

The ground of the next stripe is black, on which the pattern 
is to be worked in three shades of gold colour. 

Work a plain row of middle blue, which also forms the ground 
of the small chain pattern, with the exception of the centre 
row, which is claret. The chain is in white. 

Work a plain row of claret, and then repeat the second stripe 
as before, with the colours reversed. 

The above colours, if well chosen, are exceedingly pretty, but 
of course they may be varied according to fancy. 

The slippsr pattern No. 6, and also the Turkish pattern No. 2, 
are equally adapted for a chanceliere. 

Four-thread fleecy, and a steel needle are to be used. 

The inside of the chanceliere is made separate and knitted 
with the brioche stitch, in six or eight-thread fleecy. The 
ermine ruff, or trimming, in worsted, may easily be procured, 
but if it cannot readily be so, a thick knitted fringe three or 
four times doubled, will be a good substitute. The bottom is 
formed of leather or cloth. They should be made up on a 
very firm foundation, and stuffed between the lining and the work 
with wool. 

A PLAIN CROCKET BAG IN SILK. 

Commence at the top with a chain of about one hundred and forty 
stitches, in crochet silk (black), on which work a plain row, 
and then one row alternately every two stitches with black and 
middle blue. The blue afterwards forms the ground of the pat- 
tern, of which one plain row should then be worked. 



160 



CROCHET. 




The small stars in tlie pattern are in ricH gold colour, the 
other parts in light yellow brown; crochet one row of plain 
ground on each side of the pattern, and repeat the row of black 
and blue stitches. 

The next ground is black, the pattern in bright blue, the 
smaller stars of gold colour. 

Repeat these stripes with the dividing row of black and blue, 
until the bag is of a sufficient length. It is to be square at 
the bottom. 

If the above colours are not approved, black, green, ponceau, 
and white, will be equally good The dividing stripe may be 
worked in gold if desired. 

An usual sized bag will take about seven skeins of crochet 
silk. 

A CROCHET BAG WITH STAR-SHAPED BOTTOM. 



Make a chain of fourteen stitches, in claret crochet silk ; 
join both ends together, and crochet one plain row all round. 
In the next row (in order to keep the circle flat.) every other 
stitch is to be made a seam or dividing stitch, which is done 
by putting the needle under both loops, instead of one, and 
making two stitches in the same place, every other stitch being 



CROCHET. 



161 



a plain stitch. In the next row, work the seam-stitch in the 
same place, leaving two plain stitches between each, instead of 
one. Repeat this circle sixteen times, always observing to keep 
the seam-stitch in the same place, the number of plain stitches 
gradually increasing, when a flat surface of about four inches 
in diameter will be produced, intersected with seven raised 
stripes. A Vandyke border in claret and green may now be 
made as follows. 

First row — five stitches of claret, one of green. 

Second row — three stitches of claret, three of green. 

Third row — one stitch of claret, five of green. 

Fourth row — a plain row of green. 

The following pattern may then be worked in green on the 
claret ground. 






No 9. 



When within five rows of the top of the bag, work one 
plain row of ground, repeat the vaudyke, and work two plain 
rows of the claret ground. 



21 



162 CROCHET. 

This bag is very pretty and delicate worked in white and 
gold, in blue and gold, and in black and gold. It may also 
be varied in colour as taste may dictate. 



PERSIAN PATTERN BAG. 

The pattern No. 1 will work very prettily for a bag in silk or 
chenille. A light green stripe may be introduced, with gold 
colour, lilac, white, and scarlet, for the pattern ; but the colours 
as arranged for the table-cover, will look equally well. 



A STAR BOTTOM FOR A BAG, WITH BEADS. 

Make a chain of fourteen stitches, join both ends together with 
the crochet, and crochet one plain row all round. In the next 
row, every other stitch is to be made a seam or dividing stitch, 
which is done by putting the needle under both loops, instead of 
under one, and maldng two stitches in the same place ; every 
other stitch being a plain stitch, on which is to be a bead. In 
the next row, work the seam stitch exactly over the last, which 
will leave two plain stitches between, instead of one ; this is to be 
repeated until eight circles are formed, every plain stitch having 
a bead on it. Crochet eight rows more, leaving the seam stitch 
in the same place, but diminish the number of beads, by leaving 
out one bead in each division on each successive circle, so that 
the last row will have but one bead in each division. Then 
crochet four plain rows, keeping the seam stitch in the same place 
as before, then one plain row all round without a seam stitch, 
which forms the bottom of the bag. 



CROCHET. 



16: 



A BAG WITH STEEL OR GOLD BEADS. 

Make a star bottom for the bag, as previously directed. For 
the upper part of the bag, either of the annexed patterns — pine 
or diamond — may be employed. 




No. 10. 




No. IL 



The pine pattern is the handsomest. 

When within five rows of the top of the bag, the pattern will 
finish, when two or three plain rows are to be T^'orked, and the 
two remaining rows may be composed of steel beads. 

The colours which assimilate best with sieel, are — ^black, ponceau, 
silver grey, purple, and marron. 

For gold beads — brown, dark green, crimson, violet, and blue, 
are to be preferred. 

Any pattern intended for beads, may be worked with equal 
effect with gold cord. 



164 CROCHET. 

ANOTHER BAG WITH STEEL OR GOLD BEADS, AND 
SILK OF TWO COLOURS. 




No. 12. 

Make a star bottom as before. Crochet tbe above pattern in 
steel round it, supposing the ground black. Work five plain rows 
in a dark green. Repeat the black stripe with steel beads. 
Work five more plain rows of green in a lighter shade, and repeat 
these stripes black and green alternately, until the bag be finished, 
making each succeeding stripe of green lighter than the last. 

It has always a good effect when working stripes, to break the 
straight line by crocheting alternately two stitches of each colour. 

Dark green and ponceau, violet and greens, ponceau and greys, 
claret and blues, and white and blaes, are colours which will 
prettily harmonise. 

AN ELEGANT BAG IN BLUE, WHITE, AND GOLD. 

Work a chain of about six stitches in length, with fine blue 
crochet silk, and join both ends together. Commence with three 
plain rows of blue, and then one row blue and gold in alternate 
stitches, which forms the foundation of the star pattern for the 
bottom of the bag. 

On the above circle, crochet a row of two stitches of blue, and 
two of gold, alternately. In the next row, two of blue and three 
of gold, and continue one row after another, increasing each time 
one stitch of the gold in every division of each row, until they 
amount to eight, taking care to keep the two stitches of blue in 
their right position over each other. 



CROCHET. 



165 



The gold must be decreased three stitches on the next row, 
by working- four stitches of blue, and five of gold ; in the next 
row there should be seven of blue, and three of gold ; and in 
the next, eleven of blue, and one of gold, followed by two plain 
rows of blue, increasing a sufficient number of stitches to keep 
the work flat: this completes the bottom of the bag. 

Crochet one plain row of gold; aj i, in the next row, insert 
one stitch of white silk between eacL fire stitches of the gold. 
In the next row, there will be three white and three of gold 5 
and in the next, five of white and one of gold. These four 
rows will form a vandyJce pattern. 

Crochet one plain row of white, one plain row of gold, then 
two plain rows of blue, after which commence the following pat- 
tern on the blue ground. 




No. 13. 



The hexagonal figure is to be worked in gold ; the group of 
stars in white. Finish the bag with two or three plain rows of 
blue and white. 



AN OPEN CROCHET BAG IN CHENILLE. 

Make a chain of six loops, and unite both ends. Crochet in 
rows to form a round, increasing a sufficient number of stitches 



166 



CROCHET. 



in each row to keep the work flat, until fourteen rows are finished, 
which forms the bottom of the bag. 

Commence a Vandyke pattern, by making one stitch of gold to 
every fifth of the coloured ground, in the first row. In the next 
row, three stitches of gold, and three of the ground ; in the next, 
five of the gold, and one of the ground. The two next rows 
are to be plain ; the first of gold, the second of black. 

Work two rows of open crochet in the same colour, but the 
second row should be of a lighter shade than the first. 

Two rows of black, with one row of gold between, are then to 
be worked in plain crochet, which, repeated alternately with the 
two rows of open crochet, complete the bag. 

About sixteen skeins of chenille, and twenty-four yards of 
gold cord, will be required. 

OTHER PATTERNS FOR BAGS. 



Either square or round bags may also be worked in crochet 
silk, with coloured stripes, arranged perpendicularly, with small 
patterns of steel or gold on each alternate colour, for which the 
annexed designs will be found suitable. Gold cord, if preferred, 
may be used in the place of beads. 




No. 14. 



CROCHET. 


1G7 


gg|sp8||||| 


9!M!s 






Bipi 


I^f 




B^afe 


l^B 




No. 15. 


^^ 




^^^^^ 




rara^fSESiodSSS 


No. 16. 
A GREEK CAP IN CROCHET SILK. 

Commence at the top with a chain of fourteen stitches, unite 
the ends, s^nd crochet one plain row. On the next row, make a 
raised or dividing line on every other stitch, as for the bottoms 
of bags. The increasing must be continued until the diameter of 
the circle is about six inches and a half Work plain rows 
round this, until the cap is sufficiently deep ; occasional increasing 
stitches may be made if it be not large enough. 

The cap is to be finished with a double gold braid, which meets 
the points of the increasing lines, with a gold band round the 
bottom, and a handsome tassel at the top; or silk trimmings may 
be substituted. They require to be very neatly made up in the 
inside. 

A GREEK CAP IN COARSE CHENILLE. 

Commence at the top with a chain of six or eight stitches; 
unite the ends, and work in rows round and round, increasing a 
sufficient number of stitches in each row to keep the work flat, 
until it be about eight inches in diameter. The sides may be 



168 CROCHET. 

worked in open crocLet. introducing a few plain lines of black 
and gold between each two rows of the open crochet. 

The best colours for a cap in chenille are black and gold — 
dark blue, black, and gold — and claret, black, and gold. 

A PEN-WIPER IN PLAIN CROCHET. 

Commence with a chain of about six stitches of plain green 
netting silk, and crochet both ends together ; work three plain 
rows of green, and then one row of alternate stitches of drab 
and green. 

The drab silk will now form the ground on which the star pat- 
tern of green is to be worked. Crochet a row with two stitches 
of green and two of drab alternately ; in the next row, two of 
drab and three of green. This is to be continued one row after 
another, increasing one stitch in the green pattern every time 
that colour is repeated in each row, until it counts eight stitches 
in each division, taking care to keep the two drab stitches of the 
ground exactly over each other. 

The pattern is now to be decreased by working four stitches 
of drab and five of green ; in the next row, seven of drab and 
three of green ; and in the next, eleven of drab and one of green. 

Work two plain rows of drab, increasing a sufficient number 
of stitches to keep the work flat, and finish with a kind of 
fringe formed by two rows of open crochet in green. 

A CROCHET NECK CHAIN. 

The chain is made by commencing with five plain stitches, 
then putting the needle through the back of the second stitch, 
and making one plain stitch. It will be found, by twisting the 



CROCHET. 169 

chain after every stitcli, tkat one stitcli appears to go across, 
which is the stitch that is always to be taken and crocheted. 



A PLAIN PURSE IN CROCHET. 

Plain crochet-purses are exceedingly strong, and may be made 
very prettily with a moderate sized netting silk. Those worker 
in rows of the length of the purse are the most easily made. 

Make a chain in scarlet netting silk of one hundred and 
forty stitches, on which crochet three plain rows in the same 
colour. 1'hen five plain rows in shade of green, or stone colours. 
These two stripes are to be repeated until the purse is of a suffi- 
cient width. When completed, it is to be neatly sewn up, or 
joined by crocheting the two sides together. The ends are then 
to be drawn up and the purse trimmed. 



A PLAIN CROCHET PURSE WITH SQUARE AND ROUND ENDS. 

Commence with a chain of fourteen stitches, and joining both 
ends together, crochet one plain row all round. In the next row 
every alternate stitch is to be made a dividing or seam-stitch, 
which is done by passing the needle under both the correspond- 
ing loops in the first row, and making two stitches in the same 
place. This dividing stitch is to be repeated in the same place 
on each row, until ten. rows are worked, when a sufRcient num- 
ber of plain rows are to be crocheted according to the length 
of the purse, until the side opening commences. 

The opening of the purse is made by crocheting plain rows 
alternately from right to left, and from left to right: when a 
sufficient number of these are done: — 



22 



170 CROCHET. 



The plain rows are again to be worked to correspond with 
the former part, but instead of the round end it is to be left 
square, and sewn up, with a tassel at either corner. 



A PLAIN OPEN CROCHET PURSE. 

Make a chain of one hundred and sixty, or one hundred and 
seventy stitches ; to the last stitch of this crochet five stitches, 
which again crochet to the fifth stitch of the chain : repeat this 
the whole length of the foundation, and return the row in the 
same way by attaching every fifth stitch to the centre stitch of 
each loop of the last row ; the whole of the purse is to be con- 
tinued in the same way, but it may be varied, according to taste^ 
by using two or more colours. When the purse is worked to 
the size desired, cut a piece of stiff card-board, and sew the purse 
firmly to it, the wrong side outwards ; damp it with a little 
water, allowing it to remain until it is dry : this will stretch the 
purse, and bring all the stitches into their proper places and tighten 
them. Then having sewn or crocheted up the sides, draw in the 
ends and put on the trimmings. 

A SHORT CROCHET PURSE. 

Commence at the bottom with a chain of fourteen stitches, unite 
both ends, and work round and round increasing by means of 
dividing lines, until a flat circle of about two inches in diameter 
be formed. On this, work plain rows until the purse be about 
three inches in length. It must then be exactly divided, and each 
side worked backwards and forwards for about eight rows, or what- 
ever is sufficient for the depth of the snap. The pine pattern, No. 



CROCHET. 171 

11. and the usual vandykc. are suitable for short purses. About 
one hundred and twenty stitches will form a good-sized purse. 

A SPRIGGED PURSE IN OPEN AND PLAIN CROCHET. 

Commence with one row of open crochet, in gold coloured silk; 
work a row of plain crochet with blue and gold colour alternately, 
every two stitches, and then one row of plain blue. 

The next, or fourth row — is formed alternately of two stitches 
of scarlet, and five of blue. 

The fifth row — four stitches of blue, and five of white, 
alternately. 

The sixth row — four stitches of blue, and four of stone colour. 

The seventh row — five stitches of blue, and two of pink. 

The eighth row — plain blue. 

The ninth row — blue and gold colour alternately, as in the 
third row. 

The tenth, eleventh, and twelfth rows — in open crochet, in gold 
colour. 

Repeat the above, commencing as at second row, 

OPEN CROCHET STITCH. 

The stitch of o'pen crochet is worked (as nearly as we can 
describe) as follows : — make a chain of the length required ; 
work one plain stitch at the beginning. Bring the silk round 
the needle, and pass the needle through the first loop of the 
chain ; through this bring the silk, which makes three stitches 
on the needle ; draw the silk through the two first stitches, 
which leaves two on the needle ; then draw the silk through 
these two, which leaves one on the needle ; through this one, 



172 CROCHET. 

make one plain stitch. Put tte silk over the needle, and 
bring it through the fourth loop of the chain ; the three stitches, 
as before, will now be found on the needle ; draw the silk 
through the two first, which leaves two on the needle ; draw 
the silk through these two, which finishes the stitch, and leaves 
one upon the needle as before. The plain stitch that is then 
made between the two double stitches, allows for the stitch 
which was passed in the chain, and leaves an open space. 

This open crochet stitch is varied by making the two long 
stitches together, — which is done by omitting the single stitch, 
and passing the needle through the next loop of the chain, in- 
stead of missing one stitch, — thus producing two stitches together, 
and then an open space. This is called douUe open crochet. 

It may also be varied by making three stitches successively, 
without making any plain stitch, which produces alternate squares 
of open space and stitches. This is generally termed treble open 
crochet ; and heads may be introduced on it with very good effect 
in the following manner : — let the beads be threaded on the silk, 
and pass one on the middle stitch of the three double stitches, 
which gives a bead in the centre of each square. This stitch 
makes a very pretty purse. 

A PURSE WITH BEADS, IN PLAIN AND OPEN CROCHET. 

Make a star bottom with steel beads (as directed, page 162), 
of fine netting silk, of a dark emerald green. Work three rows 
of open crochet in a light green, — then either of the annexed 
patterns on the dark green ground, as follows : — 






CROCHET. 



173 






No. 17 




The pattern in steel beads. The ground of the pattern itself 
— ponceau. 

Work two rows of open crochet in light green. Repeat the 
pattern, with two more rows of open crochet. This completes 
the end of the purse. 

The centre is to be in plain crochet. 

AN ELEGANT CROCHET PURSE WITH GOLD. 

Commence with one row of open crochet, the length of the 
purse, in fine white netting silk. Then, one row of plain crochet, 
in alternate stitches, of white and full blue, or white and ponceau. 




No. 19 



Work the above pattern in gold, on the blue or ponceau 
ground. 

Three rows of open crochet in white. 

Repeat the pattern and open crochet alternately. 



174 CROCHET. 

When the purse is finished, it will be found that there are 
only two rows of open crochet where it is joined, but this cannot 
be avoided. 

The same pattern may also be worked in gold or steel beads, 
but it will then be advisable to omit the pattern in the centre of 
the purse. An additional colour may be introduced, with very 
good effect, on the ground between the beads. In a moderate 
sized purse, the pattern will be repeated seven times in the length. 
A few plain stitches at the top and bottom of the purse will be 
desirable. 



PLAIN DOUBLE STITCH CROCHET PURSE, PINE PATTERN. 

Commence with a chain of six stitches in ponceau, unite the 
ends, and crochet round one plain row. Work sixteen plain 
rows, increasing on each row as usual. There should be ninety- 
one stitches on the last row. Form a vandyke, by working : — 

First row — three stitches ponceau, one drab. 

Second row — one stitch ponceau, three drab. 
Crochet two plain rows of drab, — then commence with the 
following pattern in ponceau, on the drab ground, working three 
pines in height, and seven in each row ; — eight plain stitches be- 
tween each pine. 




No. 20. 



CROCHET. 175 

The opening of the purse, is worked as usual, — backwards and 
forwards, with a pattern, formed by working eleven stitches on 
each side of the opening in ponceau, in every two alternate rows. 

Finish the other end of the parse as above, reversing the 
pattern. 

PLAIN AND OPEN CROCHET PURSE. 

Commence with one row of open crochet, in fine green netting 
silk ; then work, — 

Five plain rows in shades of scarlet, from black to ponceau. 
On the second row, work two stitches with gold beads between 
every six stitches. On the second row, two steel beads, on the 
third row, two gold beads, in the following position : — 



It will take five skeins of ponceau silk, one of black, and two 
of green, to form a purse about nine inches in length 

ANOTHER PLAIN AND OPEN CROCHET PURSE, 



ISssSs^lsSEsEssS?!! 

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■a 
11111 'Jiar^mrn-innananmi 



No. 21. 



Commence with two rows of open crochet, in fine netting silk, 
of a dead gold colour. Then six rows of plain crochet in 
three distinct shades of blue, — on which the above sprig pattern 



176 CROCHET. 

may be worked in beads, the three first rows in gold beads, 
the two kst in steel beads, commencing in the second row of 
the blue. Then,— • 

Three rows of open crochet in the gold colour. 

Seven rows of black, with the Grecian border in ponceau, to 
form a stripe. 

Repeat the three rows of open crochet in gold colour, and com- 
mence again with the blue stripe as before. 

The purse should be about nine inches in length. It will take 
: three skeins of blue silk, two of gold colour, one of black, and 
one of ponceau. The silk should be fine. 

A BRIDAL PURSE. 

Work one row the length of the purse, in treble open crochet, 
with fine white netting silk. Then — one row in plain crochet, 
of three alternate stitches of ponceau and gold. 


Crochet ele 
passing. 

Repeat the 
open crochet 
ponceau, and 

Repeat the 
width, finish 


No. 22. 

ven rows in white, with the above pattern in gold 

row of ponceau and gold, — tiieii one row of treble 
in white, and one row of treble open crochet in 

again in white. 

pattern, etc. and when the purse is of a sufficient 
with one row of treble open crochet in white. 



CROCHET. 



177 



Crochet up the two sides with ponceau to the opening, round 
which work one plain row in ponceau, to strengthen the purse, 
and give uniformity. 

If intended for ord'jiary use, black or claret silk may be sub- 
stituted for the white. 



A SHORT PURSE OR BAG, IN PLAIN STITCH DOUBLE 
CROCHET. 




No. 23 




No. 24. 

The above patterns are adapted for short purses or bags in 
any bright coloured silk, with gold cord or passing; the bot- 
toms may be square, with a fringe of gold beads as a finish. 
The border pattern, No. 24, is to be placed at the bottom, with 
the Vandyke pattern above, over the whole of the other part. 

If worked for a purse, the silk must be fine; if for a bag,— 
coarse netting silk; the gold cord or passing, being of an equal 
size. 



2'J 



178 



CROCHET. 



A BABY S CRADLE COVER, OR A CARRIAGE WRAPPER. 




Wo. iio. 



In blue and wLite six-tliTead fleecy, witli a large ivory needle. 
Make a chain of the required length, and crochet two plain rows 
of white ground. In the next row, commence the above pattern, 
to form the border in blue on the white ground. This border 
is so designed, that the pattern can be made perfect at the cor- 
ners by simply continuing it at the sides, each row of the side 
border being worked at the same time with that of the centre. 
The centre is composed of the annexed pattern. 




No. 



This covering can be worked either square or in a long square. 
It will be exceedingly warm and useful as an open carriage 
wrapper, when scarlet and drab, or blue and claret fleecy may be 



CROCHET. 



179 



used. For either of these purposes, the crocheting should be 
done lightly and loosely, with a very large needle. When worked 
for mats or rugs, eight-thread fleecy is preferable, and the crochet- 
ing should be done as tightly as convenient. 

ANOTHER SQUARE PATTERN WITH A BORDER. 




These patterns may bs worked very prettily — the first for the 
border, the other for the centre — the ground of both being drab. 
Every other star in the border is gold colour, the alternate stars 
being blue and crimson, those parts marked white in the engrav- 
ing being black. In the centre, the small stars are all gold 
colour, the larger figures alternately crimson and blue. 

In working, the gold-coloured wool, both in the border and 
centre is to be carried through the whole piece, but the blue 
and crimson stars may be introduced in short lengths, the ends 
of which must be run in at the back of the work^ or it may 
be lined with silk. 



180 CROCHET. 

Two rows of open crochet, in black are to be worked round 
the whole square when finished. 

The stars may be crocheted in one shade of each colour; but 
it will be prettier, and quite as easy, to work them in various 
shades. 

A ROUND d'oYLEY OR MAT. 

Commence with a chain of six stitches, in black eight-thread 
fleecy. Unite both ends. Crochet all round, increasing in every 
stitch for the first row. 

The pattern may be formed in three shades of scarlet on a 
blue ground of three shades ; the darkest shade of the scarlet 
being on the lightest shade of the blue. 

Second row — is one stitch of dark scarlet, and two stitches 
of light blue alternately ; forming the commencement of a star 
of six points. 

Third row — three stitches of the dark scarlet, and two of the 
blue. 

Fourth row — five stitches of a lighter shade of scarlet, and 
two of the blue. 

Fifth row — five stitches of the lighter scarlet, and three of the 
second shade of blue. 

Sixth row — three stitches of the lightest scarlet, and six of 
the second blue. 

Eighth row — one stitch of the lightest scarlet, and eight of the 
darkest blue. 

Ninth row — one plain row of the darkest blue. 

Three plain rows of black finishes the D'Oyley. 

In every row, increasing stitches are to be made in the blue j 
and also in the plain rows of black. 



CROCHET. 181 



TRAVELLING BAGS. 



Travelling bags worked in eight-thread fleecy are very strong. 
They may be mounted in the same manner as the usual carpet 
bags. Any of the patterns we have given will be suitable. 

EXPLANATION OF TERMS USED IN CROCHET. 

Plain crochet — where one loop only is made in each stitch. 
It is used for the commoner kind of purses. 

Plain double crochet — where two loops are kept on the needle 
before the stitch is finished. This is the crochet stitch generally 
practised, and that used for working table-covers, etc. 

Double stitch crochet. — In this, both meshes of the chain are 
taken. It is principally employed for the soles of shoes, and 
where extra thickness is required, but it is not suitable for work- 
ing patterns. 

Plain stitch elastic crochet — is worked alternately in rows back- 
wards and forwards, first taking the upper, then the under mesh 
of the chain. 

Plain stitch open crochet — as described at page 170. It is 
used for purses. 

Open crochet — as described at page 171. It is suitable for 
purses, bags, etc. 

Double open crochet — suitable for bags, purses, etc.: see page 172. 

Treble open crochet— SiS described page 172. 

To make a stitch — at the commencement and end of a row, is 
to make one stitch of a chain before the first stitch, and after 
the last, which in the next row are to be crocheted. 

A dividing^ or seam stitch — called also a raised stitch, is made 
by putting the needle through both meshes of the chain, and 



182 CROCHET. 

working two stitches in tlie same hole. These stitches must 
always be made exactly over each other. In crocheting circles, 
they form a kind of star pattern, and serve the purpose of in- 
creasing stitches. They should not be employed when working 
with chenille. 

To increase a stitch — to make two stitches in the same mesh. 

To decrease — to take two stitches together or to miss one stitch. 
Decreasing is always done in the same ratio as increasing. 

True, or perfect stitch — when working in different colours, the 
keeping the stitches directly over each other, without any appear- 
ance of the half-stitch. This requires care, but it greatly adds 
to the beauty of the work, and makes the pattern more distinct. 

To fasten off — to draw the wool through the last stitch. 

To fasten on — Lay the ends of the wool contrariwise, and 
crochet a few stitches with both, or work in the second wool, 
and run the end in with a needle at the back of the work. 

To run the ends — to pass them down a few stitches with a 
needle. This is the neatest and strongest plan ; but they may 
be tied and cut off. 

A dioidi7ig line — generally formed of two stitches alternately 
up and down, into the grounds of the stripes on either side. 



HINTS ON CROCHET. 

A steel crochet needle is generally advisable ; — with expert 
workers it makes the most even stitches, but an ivory needle is 
easier to work with. 

The second sized netting silk is prettiest for purses. 

The coarsest or crochet silk is best adapted for bags, with steel 
or gold beads. 



CROCHET. 183 

Where many colours are required in a pattern, and tKe same 
do not very frequently occur, it is advisable to introduce them 
in short lengths instead of carrying on each thread. This 
should always be attended to when working with chenille. 

When beads are used^ they are to be strung on the silk with 
a needle. 

The average number of stitches for the length of a purse, in 
fine silk, is one hundred and sixty. In coarse silk, one hundred 
and ten. 

From ninety to one hundred stitches form the circle of a purse 
in fine silk. 

One hundred and thirty stitches may be taken for the round 
of a bag in crochet silk. 

A table-cover in six-thread fleecy, is generally computed at 
about four hundred stitches in length. 

Borders of flowers may be worked in crochet, but it would be 
impossible to convey a complete idea even to the most experienced 
worker, unless accompanied with coloured patterns, which the 
nature of our illustrations preclude us from offering. But the 
expert needlewoman will soon perceive the best method of copying 
any pattern of this description she may desire. 



CHAPTER XVII 



Enitting. 



** Those curious nets thy slender fingers knit." 

Waller. 

"And between the knyttynges flowers of golde." 

Hall's Chronicle. 

NITTING was unknown in England until the 
middle of the sixteenth century.* It is said, 
that one William Rider, an apprentice on Lon- 
don-bridge, seeing at the house of an Italian 
merchant, a pair of knit worsted stockings from 
Mantua, took the hint, and made a similar pair 
which he presented to William, Earl of Pembroke, in 1564, and 



* In the Rowleian forgeries, by Chatterton, " the marvellous boy," as Words- 
worth designates him, the following verse occurs; it is part of the "Myn- 
Btrelle's Songe, lie Syr Thybbot Gorges," in the "Tragycal Enterlude of 
^Ila." 




KNITTING. 185 

that these were the first of the kind made in England.* We learn 
from Howell, that Henry VIII commonly wore cloth hose,t except 
there came from Spain by great chance, a pair of knit silk stock- 
ings: and when his son Edward VI was presented with a pair 
of long Spanish silk stockings, by Sir Thomas Gresham, it was 
deemed a gift of some importance. 

The invention of knitting has generally been attributed to the 
Spaniards. The Scots likewise lay some claim to it, founded 
upon the fact, that the first company of stocking-knitters, established 
at Paris, took St. Fiacre for their patron, who is said to have 
been the son of one of the kings of Scotland. Be this as it 
may, it is certain that the art had been practised in Spain and 
Italy prior to our knowledge of it in England, but at how early a 
period does not appear. Mezerai says, that Henry II of France 
wore silk stockings at his sister's marriage to the duke of Savoy, 
in 1559 — the first that had been seen in that country. In Eng- 
land, in 1561, knit stockings were but little known, as we then 
find Glueen Elizabeth's silk-woman. Mistress Montague, presenting 
her majesty with a pair.lj: Knitting, however, was scarcely in 
use, ere the stocking-frame, in a great measure, usurped its place ; 
yet it does, and will doubtless ever conspicuously rank among 

" As Elynour bie the greene lesselle was syttinge, 
As from tlie sone's hete she harried, 
She sayde, as herr whytte hondes whyte hosen were knyttinge, 
Whatte pleasure ytt ys to be married!" 

The introduction of this passage was one on which some stress was laid by 
those who endeavoured to prove or disprove the authenticity of these Hterary 
fictions, from the art of knitting not being practised at so early a period, — 
Thomas Rowley (as Chatterton wished his readers to believe) being a priest 
of the fifteenth century. 

* Anderson's "History of Commerce," vol. i. p. 400. 

t The only stockings in use, at this period, were of cloth, or of milled 
stuff sewn together. 

% Vide chapter on Silk, page 47. 



24 



186 KNITTING. 

tlie domestic arts practised by the industrious poor, and " ever 
and anon" by ladies, as tbe voice of fashion calls its intricate 
mazes into action for their amusement* 

Knitting has long been the friend of the blind, whose fingers 
easily unravel its mysteries, and by their exercise afford solace 
and amusement to their frequently too tedious hours. To the in- 
digent it has given employment, and imparted what, to them, is 
almost equal to food — warmth : no garments being so warm or 
durable as the knitted. How many ladies amuse themselves in the 
winter, in making knee-caps, cuffs, comforters, caps, shawls, and 
tippets for the poor ? Independently of these, much knitting is 
done as a source of subsistence, — how useful and comfortable are 
the knitted spencer, the warm bonnet-cap, the glove for practising, 
the mitt, and various articles made for children's wear, and now 
more generally patronized and adopted than formerly. Besides 
the useful, what stores of ornamental articles does it afford ! what 
beautiful purses, bags, and bead-work will knitting produce ! and 



* The stocking-frame was invented in the reign of queen Elizabeth, in the 
year 1589, by William Lee, M.A. of St. John's College, Cambridge, a native 
of Woodborough, near Nottingham. The origin of this most important dis- 
covery is singular: — it is said that Mr. Lee was expelled the university for 
marrying contrary to the statutes of the college. Being thus rejected, and 
ignorant of any other means of subsistence, he was reduced to the necessity 
of living upon what his wife could earn by knitting stockings, which gave 
a spur to his invention ; and by curiously observing the working of the nee- 
dles in knitting, he formed in his mind the model of the frame which has 
proved of such important advantage to this branch of English manufactures. 
In the frame-work knitters or stocking weavers' Hall, is a portrait of Mr. Lee, 
pointing to one of his frames, and discoursing with a woman, who is knitting 
with needles in the usual way. The picture bears the following inscription : 
*' In the year 1589, the ingenious William Lee, A.M. of St. John's College, 
Cambridge, devised this profitable art for stockings (but being despised went 
to France), yet of iron to himself, but to us and to others of gold, in memory 
of whom this is here painted." — Vide Hutton's View of London, vol. ii. p. 605. 



KNITTING, 187 

in tlie combination of tlie two, we would here mention the sur- 
prising and splendid specimens of knitting done by the poor Irish 
cottage girls, on the estate of Lord de Vesci, under the kind 
patronage and skilful management of the Hon. Mrs. Wingfield, 
whose beneficent exertions have been extended both to their in- 
struction, and afterwards to the disposal of the labours of these 
poor children : — the fineness, variety, and perfection, exhibited in 
this knitting, almost exceed belief as to the possibility of its execu- 
tion by the hand. 

So many cleverly-written books of instruction, in the art of 
knitting, have of late appeared, that it would be presumptuous m 
us to hope, — and far either from our wish or intention, — to super- 
sede their use, or to attempt to rival their ingenuity : we would 
rather humbly endeavour to assist those, who either have not 
patience or tact to follow the rules given (perhaps in some cases 
with a little too much technicality), and offer a few useful direc- 
tions of the simplest kind, as a prelude to a better acquaintance 
with this useful art. 

A VERY EASY STITCH FOR LIGHT SCARFS, SHAWLS, BABIEs' 
QUILTS, ETC. 

Cast on any number of stitches, with three-thread fleecy. — No. 
18 needles. 

First row — make one ; knit two together ; alternately to the 
end of the row. 

Each succeeding row is merely a repetition of the first. 

Any number of colours may be introduced by working in 
stripes. 

This also forms a very pretty stitch for a purse; i£ done 
with silk. 



188 KNITTING. 

A d'oYLEY. 

Cast on any number of stitches that can be divided by ten. 
— No. 6 cotton, and No. 14 needles. 

First row — knit one ; pearl nine ; knit one ; pearl nine ; and 
so on, alternately, to the end of the row. 

Second row — pearl one ; knit seven ; pearl two. 

Third row — knit three ; pearl five ; knit two. 

Fourth row — pearl three ; knit three ; pearl four. 

Fifth row — knit five ; pearl one ; knit four. 

Sixth row — knit four ; pearl one ; knit five. 

Seventh row — pearl four ; knit three ; pearl three. 

Eighth row — knit two ; pearl five ; knit three. 

Ninth row — pearl two ; knit seven ; pearl one. 

Tenth row — pearl nine ; knit one. 

Commence again as at first row. 

CHECKED, OR MATTED PATTERN. 

Cast on any number of stitches that can be equally divided by 
six. 

First row — pearl three ; knit three. 

Second and third rows — repeat the first. 

Fourth row — knit three ; pearl three. 

Fifth and sixth rows — repeat the fourth. 

This stitch is pretty for children's socks, D'Oyleys, and large 
bags ; — with very coarse wool it makes a good mat. 

HARLEQUIN QUILT WITH TUFTS. 

This is very pretty, and easily done in plain double knitting, 
with six-thread fleecy, in pieces of six inches square, — each com- 



KNITTING. 



189 



partment being about twenty-four stitches each way ; when 
finished, they are to be sewn together with a tuft of black wool, 
at the corner of each square. 

The tufts may be made in the following manner : — take a 
grooved wooden mesh, an inch in width ; wind round it four- 
thread black fleecy, about a dozen times : slip a coarse thread in 
the groove, and tie the wool quite tight, leaving an end to it that 
may be drawn through and attached to the quilt ; cut the loops 
of wool through on the opposite side of the mesh, then comb and 
shear it neatly. 

For a quilt two yards and a half square, two hundred and 
twenty-five pieces will be required, — and if arranged according to 
the following plan, there will be one hundred and thirteen white, 
fifty-six blue, and fifty-six scarlet. It will take two hundred and 
fifty-six tufts. A fringe, made as directed at page 191, may be 
added in scarlet or blue. The annexed plan is one yard square. 



M- 



5t 



^- 



-^- 



White 



^ 



Bh 



-5^- 



Scarlet 



^- 



White 



* 



Blue 



5te- 



White 



^■ 



Scarlet 



^ 



White 



-y^ 



■^- 



White 



^- 



Scarlet 



White 



Bh 



~^- 



-^- 



-^- 



^ 



Blue 



Scarlet 



White 



■^ 



White 



^ 



Blue 



-^- 



-^ 



White 



-^- 



-*- 



Blue 



'^- 



White 



■^- 



-^ 



Scarlet 



White 



-^- 



Scarlet 



^- 



White 



^ 



Blue 



White 



y& 



Scarlet 



White 



-X- 



-^^ 



White 



Blue 



Scarlet 



White 



-5^- 



White 



-^ 



Scarlet 



-^- 



-^■ 



Bli 



White 



■^ 



■^ 



•^ 



■^ 



190 KNITTING. 



TURKISH KNITTING. 



This forms a very pretty diamond pattern, in two colours. 
Needles pointed at either end, are required, and two different 
coloured wools, — say white and scarlet. 

Cast on any number of stitches that may be divided by 
three. 

First row — pearl knitting, with white ; — make one ; slip one ; 
knit two together ; repeating the same to the end of the row. 

Second row — common knitting, with scarlet ; — slip one ; knit 
two ; alternately to the end of the row. 

Third row — common knitting, with white ; — make one ; slip 
one ; knit two together ; repeating the same to the end of the row. 

Fourth row — pearl knitting, with scarlet ; — slip one ; pearl 
two ; alternately to the end of the row. 

Fifth row — commence again from the first row. 

N.B. All the slip stitches are to be taken oif as in pearl knit- 
ting, from the back of the stitch. 

RAISED KNITTING. 

Two different-sized needles should be used, one double the size 
of the other. 

Cast on any even number of stitches that may be required. 

First row — with the small needle, alternately make one stitch, 
and knit two stitches together. 

Second row — plain knitting, with large needle. 

Third row — plain knitting, with small needle. 

Fourth row — pearl knitting, with small needle. 

Repeat, from the first. 

This kind of knitting is well adapted for hoods, muffs, cuffs, &c. 



KNITTING. 191 



KNITTED FRINGE. 



This may be made of any sized wool or cotton, according to 
the purpose for which it is required ; it may also be spaced with 
two or more colours, working alternately six stitches in each. 

Cast on eight stitches. 

Knit two ; make one ; knit two together ; knit one ; make 
one ; knit two together ; knit one. 

When a sufficient number of rows are knitted to form the 
length of fringe desired, — 

Cast off five stitches, leaving three to unravel for the fringe. 

VANDYKE BORDER. 

Cast on seven stitches. 

First and second rows — plain knitting. 

Third row — slip one ; knit two ; turn over, knit two together " 
turn over twice, knit two together. 

Fourth row — make one 5 knit two ; pearl one ; knit two ; turn 
over ; knit two together ; knit one. 

Fifth row— slip one ; knit two ; turn over, knit two together ; 
knit four. 

Sixth row — knit six ; turn over, knit two together ; knit one. 

Seventh row — slip one; knit two; turn over, knit two together; 
turn over twice, knit two together ; turn over twice, knit two 
together. 

Eighth row — \i.mi two ; pearl one ; knit two ; pearl one ; knit 
two ; turn over ; knit two together : knit one. 

Ninth row — slip one ; knit two ; turn over, knit two together ; 
turn over twice, knit two together ; turn over twice, knit two 
together. 



192 KNITTING. 

Tenth row — ^knit two ; pearl one ; knit two ; pearl one ; knit 
two; pearl one; knit two; turn over, knit two together; knit one. 

Eleventh row — slip one; knit two; turn over, knit two together; 
knit nine. 

Twelfth row — cast off all but seven ; knit three ; turn over, 
knit two together; knit one. 

This finishes the first Vandyke — commence again as at third 
row. 

This border is generally knitted in cotton, and may be used 
for muslin curtains, for knitted or netted fish napkins, and for 
" tidies" for the backs of chairs, or ends of sofas. 

N.B. By turn over, is meant to bring the wool forward over 
the needle. 

A SCALLOPED FRINGE OR BORDER. 

Cast on nine stitches. 

First row — slip one; knit one; bring the cotton forward, knit 
two together three times ; bring the cotton forward, knit one. 

Second row — plain knitting. 

Repeat these two rows nine times, plain knitting the additional 
stitches. 

Knit three plain rows, ending at the point; the middle one of 
these will form the first half of the scallop. 

Make the other half of the scallop, decreasing thus: — 

First row — slip one; knit two together; bring the cotton for- 
ward, knit two together four times ; knit seven. 

Second row — plain knitting. 

Repeat these two rows alternately, until reduced to ten stitches. 

Bring the cotton forward, knit two together three times ; when 
there will be the same number of stitches as at the commence- 
ment of the scallop. 



KNITTING. 193 

Knit three plain rows. 

Commence another scallop as before. 

ANOTHER KNITTED FRINGE. 

Cast on nine or twelve stitches, according to the depth of the 
fringe required. 

Slip one ; knit two ; bring the wool forward, knit two together ; 
knit one ; bring the wool forward, knit two together ; knit one ; 
repeat, until it be of the desired length : then — 

Cast off five stitches and unravel the others to form the fringe. 

A SPACED FRINGE FOR A CROCHET TABLE 
COVER, ETC. 

Take three skeins of the same wool as that of the table cover 
— white, blue, and red ; cut them into lengths of about seven 
inches, two of which are to be knitted into the fringe at the same 
time. Each space is composed of four double stitches, or eight 
rows of knitting. The depth of the fringe, including the head, 
is rather more than four inches. 

Cast on eight stitches in dark claret, which forms the head. 

First row — slip one ; bring the wool forward, knit two together ; 
knit one. Take two lengths of the fringe wool, and place be- 
tween the needles; knit one; bring the wool forward, knit one; 
pass the fringe wool back, knit one; bring the wool forward, 
knit one. 

Second row — plain knitting. 

KNITTED INSERTION. 

Cast on nine stitches ; slip one ; knit two together ; bring the 



25 



194 



KNITTING. 



cotton forward, knit two together; knit one; bring tke cotton for- 
ward, knit two together. 

This may be used for trimming muslin curtains, etc. 



BONNETS DE NTJIT D HOMMES. 

Ce bonnet se commence avec six aiguilles et une de rechange. 
Sur chacune se trouvent quarante six a cinquante mailles, lorsque 
le coton est fin. Les trois ou quatre premiers tours se font a 
I'envers; les deux suivants, qui se trouvent dans le bord, consistent 
en trous semblables a des crochets, dans lesquels on fait passer un 
ruban pour affermir le bonnet. L'on tricote encore une etendue 
de deux pouces, pour former le reste du bord, qui s'appelle re- 
troussis : ce reste consiste dans de petltes c6tes, qu'on obtient en 
tricotant alternativement quatre a cinq mailles unies, et quatre a 
cinq autres, dont une sur deux doit etre a I'envers. Vient en- 
suite une rangee de trous ronds ou en forme de crochet, qui 
servent a regler le rempli du bonnet. 11 faut triccter ensuite le 
bonnet et a I'envers, parce que sans cela le retroussls serolt a 
I'envers. Tout I'ouvrage, ainsi que les ornements se continuent 
interiearement. Le bonnet etant fini, on le retourne, afin que 
I'endrolt soit en dehors. Le retroussls qui se trouve a I'envers, 
est remis a lendroit par le rempli qu'on y fait. 

DOUBLE NIGHT CAP. 

Five needles are required. 

Cast on two stitches on each of the four needles. 

First row — increase two plain stitches, on each needle. 

Second row — increase one plain stitch on each needle. 



KNITTING. 



195 



Third row — Seam the centre stitch on each needle, and increase 
on either side of it, every alternate row, until the cap is suffi- 
ciently wide. 

Fourth row— plain knit every row, until the cap is about 
twenty-six inches in length. 

Fifth row — decrease every alternate row, and seam the centre 
stitch of each needle, so as to correspond with the increasing at 
the commencement. 



OPERA CAP. 




This is prettiest in double German wool, but three-thread fleecy 
may be used. 

Cast on seventy-four stitches, white. 

Pearl one row. 
Knit one row. 



;i 



white. 



L„ 



196 KNITTING. 

Pearl one row, coloured. 

Bring the wool before the needle, a^d knit two stitches together. 

Pearl one row, ) 

> white. 
Knit one row, \ 

Pearl one row, ) 

white. 



Knit one row 



The above forms the border. 

First division — coloured. 

Pearl one row. 

Knit one row, decreasing one stitch at each end. 
Knit one row. 

Knit a fancy row, by taking two stitches together, keeping the 
wool before the needle. 

Second — white. 

Pearl one row, decreasing one stitch at each end. 
Knit one row, decreasing two stitches at each end. 
Knit one row, decreasing one stitch at each end. 
Knit a fancy row as before. 

Third — coloured. 

Pearl one row, decreasing one stitch at each end. 
Knit one row, decreasing one stitch at each end. 
Knit one row, without decreasing. 
lOiit a fancy row as before. 

Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh— 

The third division to be repeated, alternately with white and 
coloured wool. 



KNITTING. 197 

Eighth — white. Ninth — coloured. 

In these two last divisions, only two stitches are to be de- 
creased in each ; this is to be done in the row after the pearl, 
decreasing one stitch at each end. 

N.B. There should be forty stitches left on the needle in the 
last row.* 

Pick up thirty stitches on each side, and make the borders at 
the sides and back like the first. 

Make up the cap by turning in the border to the fancy row, 
and hem it all round : it is to be tied behind, and under the 
chin, with ribbons or plaited wool, with tassels of the same. 

BAREGE KNITTING FOR SHAWLS. 

Commence with any number of stitches that may be divided 
by three, and knit one plain row. 

Second row — knit three : bring the wool forward, knit three 
together, taking them off at the back; bring the wool forward, 
knit three. 

Third row — pearl knitting. 

Fourth row — repeat the second row, — except that it is to be 
commenced by knitting three together, and then knitting the 
three plain stitches. 

Fifth row — pearl knitting. 

N.B. In repeating the second and fourth rows, they must 
always be commenced alternately with three plain stitches, — knit- 
ting three stitches together. 

When a pattern in one or more colours is to be introduced, 
break off the ground colour, and the colour then to be used is to 

* If the pins are small, commence with eighty stitches; then, there should 
be forty-six stitch<ui on the needle instead of forty. 



198 KNITTING. 

be fastened on in the following manner. — Make a slip knot in the 
end of the wool, and pass it on the needle in the left hand. 
Twist the ends of this coloured wool and that of the ground, to- 
gether, — knit in plain knitting the stitches required for the pat- 
tern, then fasten off, by making a loop, and commence again with 
the ground colour, fastening on again as above. Any number 
of colours may thus be introduced, to form flowers or other pat- 
terns, which, however, are always done in plain knitting. 

The wool suitable for barege knitting, is known as four-thread 
embroidery fleecy. It may also be done in fine cotton. 

SHETLAND SHAWL PATTERN. 

This should be worked in fine cotton, or four-thread embroidery 
fleecy, with No. 14 or 15 needles. 

Cast on any number of stitches that may be divided by six. 

First row — bring the wool forward, knit one ; bring the wool 
forward, knit one ; — slip one : knit two together, bring the slip 
stitch over them ; knit one. 

Second row — pearl knitting. 

Third row — bring the wool forward, knit three ; bring the wool 
forward, slip one ; knit two together, bring the slip stitch over them. 

Fourth row — pearl knitting. 

Fifth row — ^knit one ; slip one ; knit two together, bring the 
slip stitch over them ; knit one ; bring the wool forward, knit 
one: bring the wool forward. 

Sixth row — pearl knitting. 

Seventh row — slip one ; knit two together, bring the slip stitch 
over them ; bring the wool forward, knit three ; bring the wool 
forward. 

Eighth row — ^pearl knitting. 



KNITTING. 199 

N.B. There are to be two plain stitches at the beginning and 
end of each row, to form an edge. 



A SHETLAND KNITTED SCARF. 

Commence with the pattern of the border, by casting on one 
hundred stitches for the width of the scarf 

First row — knit two stitches together four times ; bring the 
wool forward and knit one, eight times ; knit two stitches to- 
gether four times : pearl one ; — repeat to the end of the row. 

Second row — pearl knitting. 

Third row — plain knitting. 

Fourth row — pearl knitting. 

Repeat, from the first row until the pattern is about fourteen 
inches deep. Commence the centre as follows : — working one row 
of pearl knitting, before the pattern commences. 

First row — bring the wool forward, slip one ; knit one, pass the 
slip stitch over the knitted one ; knit one ; pearl one j repeat to 
the end of the row. 

Second and following rows — repeat the first, — every row being 
alike. 

No. 17 needles, and four-thread embroidery fleecy. 

If this fleecy be split, it exactly imitates the Shetland wool 
In splitting, the wool will frequently break ; but this is not im- 
portant, as by laying the ends contrariwise, and twisting them 
together, a few stitches may be so knit that the joins are not 
perceptible. 

Both ends of the scarf are to be made alike by reversing the 
knitting of the border. They may be finished with a tied, knit- 
ted, or netted fringe, of the same wool, without splitting, or of 
fine German wool. 



200 KNITTING. 



A BRIOCHE. 





The brioche knitting-stitch is simply as follows: bring the wool 
forward, slip one; knit two together. 

A brioche* is formed of sixteen straight narrow stripes, and 
sixteen wide stripes which gradually decrease in width towards the 
top or centre of the cushion. It may be made in three-thread fleecy 
or double German wool, with ivory or wooden pins, No. 19. 

Cast on ninety stitches, in black, for the narrow stripe, and 
knit two turns ; then three turns in gold colour, and two turns 
again in black. This completes the narrow stripe. 

The conical stripe is knitted as follows: — knit two stitches, and 
turn ; knit these two, and two more of the black and turn ; con- 
tinue this, taking each time two more stitches of the black, until 
within two stitches of the top and turn; the wool will now be at 
the bottom or wide part of the stripe. Commence again with the 
black as in former narrow stripe, knitting the two black stitches 
at the top. 

By a turn^ we mean one row and back again. 

The colours for the conical stripe may be blue and drab, or 



♦ So called from its resemblance, in shape, to the well known French cake 
of that name. 



KNITTINCf. 201 

any two, or four colours, ivhich assort well together, or they may 
each be different, thus : — white, blue, scarlet, stone colour, bright 
green, crimson, white, lilac, deep gold colour, ruby, white, buff, 
French blue, chrysophas green, and lilac. 

When the last conical stripe is finished, it is to be knitted to 
the first narrow stripe, and the brioche is to be made up with a 
stiff bottom of mill board, about eight inches in diameter, covered 
with cloth. The top is drawn together, and fastened in the centre 
with a tuft of soft wool ; but they are generally preferred with a 
cord and tassels, as represented in the engraving. It should be 
stuffed with down, or fine combed wool. 

BOURSE A LA JOSEPHINE. 

This is a very pretty purse, with or without beads. Three 
skeins of silk will be required, and twelve rows of beads. 

Cast on seventy-five stitches, in second sized netting silk. 

First row — plain knitting. 

Second row — knit one ; bring the wool forward, slip one ; knit 
one, pass the slip stitch over it. If made with beads, pass the 
bead on in bringing the wool forward. 

Repeat the first and second rows alternately, to complete the 
purse. 

GERMAN PURSE. 

Cast on one hundred stitches. 

First row — slip one; knit one, pass the slip stitch over itj 
bring the silk forward, knit one ; bring the silk forward, pearl 
one ; continue to the end of the row. 

Every succeeding row is the same. 

Three skeins of coarse netting silk, and needles No. 10, are re- 
quired. It forms a strong gentleman's purse. 



2G 



202 KNITTING. 

A STRONG KNITTED PURSE. 

Cast on any number of stitches that can be divided by three. 

First row — bring the wool forward, slip one; knit two, pass 
the slip stitch over them ; — continue the same to the end of the 
row. 

Second row — plain knitting. 

Third row — knit two, before the pattern is commenced, that 
the holes may come in a diagonal direction. 

Fourth and fifth row — same as second and third. 

Sixth row — same as first. 

This purse will take five skeins of second-sized netting silk, 
and needles No 8. It particularly requires stretching. 

OPEN STITCH PURSE WITH BEADS. 

Cast on sixty stitches in netting silk. 

First row — knit one ; bring the silk forward, knit two together ; 
bring the silk forward, pass on a bead, placing it behind the 
needle ; knit two together ; — continue the same to the end of the 
row, placing a bead every alternate pattern. 

Second row — same as the first, without beads. 

Third row — ^knit one ; bring the silk forward, pass on a bead, 
—then continue as in first row. 

Second-size purse twist, and needles No. 9, are required. 

HERRINGBONE, OR SHETLAND STITCH FOR A PURSE. 

Cast on any number of stitches that can be divided by four. 
About eighty will be required. 

First row — bring the silk forward, slip one ; knit one, pass the 



KNITTING. 203 

slip stitch over it ; knit one ; bring the silk forward, pearl one ; 
repeat to the end of the row. 

Every row is the same. 

Three skeins of second-sized silk, and two needles, No. 13, will 
be required. 

A PENCE JUG, OR PURSE. 

Five needles, No. 14, will be required, and half a skein of cla- 
ret and green Hamburgh wool. 

Commence with the handle ; — by casting in five stitches in 
claret, and knitting in plain rows backwards and forwards until it 
is two inches long. 

Cast on six stitches on the same needle, twenty-six on the 
second, and ten on the third : then, — 

Knit from the first needle, — ^knit two ; pearl two alternately. 

With the second needle — pearl two ; knit two ; pearl two ; pass 
the wool back, slip one ; knit one, draw the slip stitch over it ; 
knit the remaining stitches plain, within seven of the end ; then, 
knit two together ; knit one ; pearl two ; knit two. 

On the next needle-^ — pearl two ; knit two ; alternately repeating 
three rounds, until twelve stitches only remain on the second 
needle, which finishes the spout. 

Knit three plain rounds with green, five with claret, three with 
green, and five with claret, every two stitches being alternately 
plain and pearled. 

Knit one plain round with green ; pearl three rounds with 
claret; knit one round with green, making a stitch between every 
two stitches. 

Pearl three rounds with green ; knit one plain round ; in the 
next two rounds, bring the wool forward and knit two together. 



204 KNITTING. 

Knit one plain round with claret ; pearl three rounds ; knit one 
plain round ; in the next two rounds bring the wool forwaid and 
knit two together; knit one plain round; pearl three rounds. 
Divide the stitches on the four needles, — twelve on each. Then — 

In plain stocking knitting, knit five rounds, decreasing one al- 
ternately, at each end, and in the middle of the needle. lOiit 
three rounds more, decreasing occasionally. 

Divide the stitches on three needles, knit a plain round, and 
pearl three rounds without decreasing ; finish with plain rounds, 
decreasing until only four stitches rem.ain on each needle. Draw 
up the small opening and attach the lower end of the handle to 
the side of the jug. 

It may also be worked in silk. 

STAR PATTERN SHAWL IN TWO COLOURS. 

Cast on four stitches in blue. 

First row — bring the wool forward, knit one (these two stitches 
form the increase, and therefore are not to be repeated) ; bring 
the wool forward, slip one ; knit two, pass the slip stitch over 
them ; repeat the same to the end of the row. 

Second row — pearl knitting in claret. 

Third row — same as first in blue. 

Fourth row — same as second in claret. 

Repeat these rows alternately, in blue and claret, until there 
are one hundred and eighty stitches on the needle ; cast oflj 
and finish with a netted fringe. 

As the increasing adds an irregular stitch, some rows will 
have one, and others two knitted stitches at their commencement. 

PLAIN RIBBED MUFFATEES. 

Four needles will be required. 



KNITTING. 



205 



Cast on each of three needles eighteen or twenty-four stitches 
according to the size desired. 

First round^ — knit three; pearl three; — alternately. 
Second and succeeding rounds — repeat the first 



GRAHAM MUFFATEES. 




Two colours are generally used — say red and white, 
are prettiest in four-thread embroidery fleecy. 

Cast on forty-five stitches. 

Bring the wool forward, knit two together; 
repeat the same to the end of the row. 

Knit six plain rows. 

Knit six plain rows. 

Bring the wool forward, knit two together. 

Knit six plain rows. 

Knit six plain rows. 

Bring the wool forward, knit two together. 

Knit six plain rows. 



They 



white. 



> red. 



white. 



206 



KNITTING. 



Knit six plain rows. 

Bring the wool forward, knit two together. 

Knit six plain rows. 

Knit six plain rows. 

Bring the wool forward, knit two together 

Take double wool, and needles double the size. 

Knit one plain row. 

Pearl one row. 

Knit two plain rows. 

Pearl one row. 



-} 



red. 



white. 



^ white. 



id. 



Knit one plain row. 

Pearl one row. 

Repeat these two red and white stripes alternately four times, 
and finish with the two stitches together as at the commencement. 

The cuffs, when finished, roll over at the top. The engrav* 
ing represents them without the roll. 

Two needle"-, No. 11, and two No. 16, will be required. 

ANOTHER FAIR OF MUFFATEES. 




KNITTING. 207 

Cast on thirty-five stitches. 

First row — knit twenty plain stitches, and fifteen in double 
knitting. 

Every second row is the same. 

When they are sufficiently large, knit or sew them up. The 
double knitting comes over the hand, the plain knitting sitting 
tight to the wrist. 

Three-thread fleecy, with needles, No. 16, are to be used. 



Cast on one hundred and sixty-eight stitches. This will form 
the foundation, on which the pattern is to be repeated eight 
times. 

First row — pearl knitting. 

Second row — knit two together; knit three; knit two together; 
knit one ; bring the wool forward, knit one ; bring the wool for- 
ward, knit one; knit two together; knit three; knit two together ; 
knit one ; bring the wool forward, knit one ; bring the wool for- 
ward, knit two ; — repeat this to the end of the row. 

Third row — pearl knitting. 

Fourth row — knit two together; knit one; knit t^o together; 
knit one ; bring the wool forward, knit three ; bring the wool forward, 
knit one; knit two together; knit one; knit two together; knit 
one ; bring the wool forward, knit three ; bring the wool forward, 
knit two plain. 

Fifth row — pearl knitting. 

Sixth row — slip one ; knit two together, draw the slip stitch 
over them; knit one; bring the wool forward, knit five; bring 
the wool forward, knit one; slip one; knit two together; draw 
the slip stitch over them ; knit one ; bring the wool forward, 
knit five ; bring the wool forward, knit two. 



208 KNITTING. 

Seventh row — pearl knitting. 

Eighth row — knit two ; bring the wool forward, knit one ; bring 
the wool forward, knit one ; knit two together ; knit three ; knit 
two together ; knit one ; bring the wool forward, knit one ; bring 
the wool forward, knit one ; knit two together ; knit three ; knit 
two together. 

Ninth row — pearl knitting. 

Tenth row — knit two; bring the wool forward, knit three 
bring the wool forward, knit one ; knit two together ; knit one 
knit two together; knit one; bring the wool forward, knit three 
bring the wool forward, knit one; knit two together; knit one 
knit two together. 

Eleventh row — pearl knitting. 

Twelfth row — knit two; bring the wool forward, knit five; bring 
the wool forward, knit one; slip one; knit two together, bring 
the slip stitch over them ; knit one ; bring the wool forward, 
knit five ; bring the wool forward, knit one ; slip one ; knit two 
together, bring the slip stitch over them. 

This pattern may be worked in cotton, No. 6, for a chair 
tidy, and finished with a netted fringe. It is also very pretty 
for light shawls, in four-thread embroidery fleecy. Needles Nos. 
14 or 15 may be used with either material. 

DOUBLE KNITTING FOR COMFORTERS, ETC. 

Cast on any even number of stitches. 

First row — bring the wool forward, slip one ; pass the wool back, 
knit one ; — continue to the end of the row. 

Every succeeding row is the same. The stitch knitted in one 
row, is the slip stitch in the next. 

Large sized needles, and fjur-threai flsecy will be required. 



KNITTING. 209 

A KNITTED BAG, WITH BLACK OR GARNET BEADS. 

Thread half a bunch of beads on a skein of claret netting silk, 
and cast on eighty-eight stitches. 

First and second rows — plain knitting without beads. 

Third row — slip one ; knit one with a bead ; knit one ; repeat 
the same alternately to the end of the row. 

Repeat from first row eighty-four times. Observe at the com- 
mencement of every row to make a slip-stitch. 

Join up the two sides, leaving an opening at the top, and finish 
with two bars and gold chain. A fringe of the garnet beads, with 
gold points, is the prettiest trimming. It should have a stiff 
lining. 

No. 14 needles, eight skeins of netting silk, and four bunches 
of beads, including those for the fringe, will be required. 

DOTTED KNITTING, FOR BABIEs' SHOES, CUFFS, ETC. 

Cast on any even number of stitches. 

First row — pearl one ; knit one. 

Second row — knit one ; pearl one. 

Repeat these two rows alternately. 

Two needles, No. 8, and German wool, are required. 

A KNITTED BONNET CAP. 

Cast on ninety stitches, in hair brown, for border. 
First, second, and third rows — plain knitting. 
Fourth row — bring the wool forward, knit two together. 
Then,— 

Commence with another colour — say white. 
Fifth, sixth, and seventh rows — plain knitting. 



27 



210 KNITTING. 

Eightli row — bring tlie wool forward, knit two together. 

Repeat these last four rows seven times: then the brown bor- 
der as before. It forms a band of about four inches wide, which 
is to be drawn up at the two ends, and strings attached to tie 
it under the chin. 

Then cast on forty stitches and commence another band with 
the brown border as above, — three rows of the pattern in white, 
and repeat the brown border. I'his is to be sewn or knitted on 
to the head piece, and forms the band for the back. A ribbon is 
to be run through it, to tie it close to the head. 

A KNITTED MUFF IN IMITATION OF SABLE. 




Cast on seventy or eighty stitches. 

First, second, and third rows — plain knitting. 

Fourth row — bring the wool forward, knit two together, taken 
at the back ; continue the same to the end of the row. 

Repeat these four rows, until the piece be about 18 inches long, 
admitting that the shading comes in correctly. 

Two No. 19 needles are required, and double German wool, in 
four distinct shades to match the colour of sable. Commence with 
the lightest shade, — then the second, third, and darkest, reversing 
.them again to the lightest, as represented in the engraving. 

ANOTHER MUFF. 

Cast on forty-five stitches. 



KNITTING. 211 

Every row is worked the same, with a slip stitch at the begin- 
ing; — knit one ; pearl one; repeat to the end of the row. 

It will require a piece of about twenty inches long to make a 
moderate sized muff, which must be lined with gros de Naples, 
and stuffed with wool, and a sufficient quantity of horsehair to 
retain it in shape. Cord and tassels to match the colour of the 
muff may be sewn at the ends ; or it may be drawn up with 
ribbons. 

A baby's shoe. 




Cast on thirty-six stitches in red German wool. 

Knit six turns, increasing a stitch at each row, to form the toe 
and heel. 

Knit six more turns, increasing a stitch at one end only for 
the toe. 

Cast off thirty stitches on another needle; — knit the remaining 
sixteen stitches for eighteen turns, and cast them off on another 
needle. 

With white, pick up the thirty red stitches;— knit three plain 
rows; — in the next, bring the wool forward, knit two together. 

Knit three plain rows; leave sixteen stitches on the needle, and 
repeat the pattern in white across the instep seven times, which is 
afterwards to be sewn to the red knitting for the toe. 

Cast on sixteen stitches in white to correspond with the other side. 

Knit two plain rows;— in the next, bring the wool forward, 



212 KNITTING. 

knit two together the whole length of the row ; — ^knit one plain 
row in red, taking up the stitches that were cast off for the toe; 
and make this side of the shoe to correspond with the other, de- 
creasing instead of increasing. — The shoe and the white in the 
instep are now finished. 

Pick up the stitches both of the shoe and instep ; — knit three 
plain turns. Take a larger needle, bring the wool forward, knit 
two together : forming the holes to pass the libbon through. 

Knit three plain turns with a small needle. In the next row, 
bring the wool forward, knit two together. 

Knit three plain rows; in the next, bring the wool forward, 
knit two together, until the sock be of the height desired. Cast 
off very loosely. 

ANOTHER VERY PRETTY BABy's SHOE. 

This is worked in stripes with two colours. 

Cast on twenty-eight stitches in blue, — knit one plain row ; — 
knit one plain row in white, adding a stitch at the end for the 
heel, and turn ; knit another plain row with blue, adding a stitch 
as before, and turn. 

Repeat the above alternately without any additional stitchert, 
until there are eight stripes of each colour. 

Knit one plain row in blue, and in turning, cast off seven 
teen stitches, beginning from the heel. 

Knit the thirteen remaining stitches with white, and turn. 
Knit one row with blue, and turn. — Continue until there are five 
rows of one colour, and four of the other. Then knit the thirteen 
stitches in blue, — add seventeen to correspond with the other 
side, and turn. Finish this side like the other, decreasing for 
the heel. The toe and heel are then sewn up in the shape of a 
shoe. 



KNITTING. 



213 



Take four needles^ and pick up tKe stitches round the instep 
and ankle, putting an equal number of stitches in each of three 
needles. Knit five plain rounds ; bring the wool forward, to make 
a stitch; slip one; knit two, pass the slip-stich over them; bring 
the wool forward, and repeat the same for one round. 

Knit five plain rows. 

Pearl four rows. 

Knit five plain rows. 

Pearl four rows. 

Knit two plain rows. 

Finish by bringing the wool forward, and knitting two together. 

Knit two plain rows, and cast off. 

The upper or round part of the shoe, is prettiest in white. 

No. 14 needles, and three-thread fleecy, or double German wool, 
are to be used. A ribbon may be run in the open stitches to tie 
them on the foot 

A baby's STOOTfTNO, 




214 KNITTING. 

Cast on twenty-three stitches in brown, and knit six turns, in- 
creasing one at each end, for the toe and heel. 

Knit six turns, increasing a stitch only at the toe. There will 
now be thirty-six stitches on the needle. Cast oflf twenty stitches, 
and knit the remaining sixteen stitches, for eighteen turns. One 
side of the shoe and instep will now be made. 

Cast on twenty stitches and work the other side of the shoe to 
correspond. 

Pick up the stitches with white across the instep. Knit two 
turns, catching in one loop of the sides of the shoe, in each row, 
to join them together. 

Knit one turn in brown, two in white, one in brown, two in 
white, one in brown. The shoe and instep will now be finished. 

Pick up the stitches of the shoe, on each side of the piece 
which forms the instep. There should now be forty stitches on 
the needle. 

Knit seven turns in white ; then nineteen turns, increasing a stitch 
at the beginning of every other turn. Knit three plain turns fol- 
lowed by eighteen turns, decreasing one stitch in every other turn. 

Forty-four stitches will now be found on the needle. Knit and 
pearl two alternately for five turns. Knit two plain rows. Knit 
one row in red, and cast off loosely. 

The shoe is to be sewn up into its shape, and the stocking 
closed up. 

Open baby's stockings may be made by continuing the knitting 
as directed for the shoe pattern, p. 211. 

A DOUBLE KNITTED SCARF, IN TWO COLOURS. 

Cast on thirty-six stitches in blue. 

First row — bring the wool forward, slip one ; pass the wool 
back, knit one ; repeat to the end of the row. 



KNITTING. 215 

Each succeeding row is the same, observing that the knit-stitch 
always comes under the slip-stitch. 

It will require seven rows of blue, seven of white, seven of 
blue, thirty-eight of white, seven of blue, seven of white, seven 
of blue. 

Cast off and draw up the ends. Finish with blue and white 
tassels. 

CABLE KNITTING. 

Cast on any number of stitches that can be divided hy six. 

First row — pearl knitting. 

Second row — plai-n kniting. 

Third row — pearl knitting. 

Fourth row — plain knitting. 

Fifth row — pearl knitting. 

Sixth row — plain knitting. 

Seventh row — pearl knitting. 

Eighth row — slip three stitches on to a third needle, always 
keeping that needle in front ; knit the next three stitches ; then 
knit the three stitches that were slipped on the third needle ; take 
the third needle again, and slip three more stitches on it, keeping 
it as before in front, and knit the next three stitches ; then 
knit the three stitches slipped on the third needle; continue the 
same to the end of the row; commence again as at first row. 

KNITTED CUFFS. 

Cast thirty stitches on each of two needles, and forty on 
the third, and knit a plain round. 

Second round — pearl one ; pass the silk back, knit one ; 
pearl one ; pass the silk back, knit one. — by which you make 



216 KNITTING. 

a loop stitch ; repeat this five times, which will make, with 
the loop stitch, thirteen from the last pearled stitch ; commence 
the pattern again as at beginning of round. 

Third round — pearl one ; knit one, pearl one ; slip one ; knit 
one, pass the slip-stitch over it ; knit nine ; knit two together ; 
repeat to the end of the round. 

Fourth round — same as third, except that there will be only- 
seven plain stitches to knit. 

Fifth round — same as third, with only five plain stitches. 

There will now be the same number of stitches on the needles 
as at the commencement. 

Knit one plain round, excepting on the three division stitches 
which are knitted as before. 

Repeat from second round, and when the cuffs are of suf- 
ficient length, knit a plain round to correspond with the 
beginning. 

They may be made either of silk, cotton, or fine wool, with 
needles No. 11. 

COVER FOR AN AIR CUSHION. 

Cast on eighty stitches, on each of the three needles ; knit 
one round with the wool turned round the needle. 

Second round — knit the second stitch, slipping it over the 
first ; repeat this, slipping every second stitch over the former 
one. 

Repeat the first and second rounds alternately. 



A FISH NAPKIN, D OYLEY, OR TIDY. 

Cast on ninety-six stitches ; pearl and knit sixteen rows al- 
ternately. 



KNITTING. 217 

Seventeenth row — pearl sixteen ; bring the cotton forward, pearl 
three ; pass the cotton back, knit three ; repeat the last six 
stitches alternately, until within the last sixteen stitches of the 
end of the row, which are to be pearled. 

In the next row, knit the sixteen stitches at the beginning 
and end which form the border, and reverse the pearled and knit 
stitches in the centre. 

Repeat the seventeenth and eighteenth rows alternately, and 
when worked to the size required, finish with the border as at 
the commencement. 

The above may be enlarged by casting on any extra number 
of stitches that can be divided by three. 

A KNITTED MAT. 

Cast on forty-live stitches in fine twine, and knit one plain 
row. Cut some coarse yarn into lengths of about two inches, 
and in the — 

Second row — knit one ; place a piece of the yarn between the 
needles, one end on each side ; knit one, pass the end of the 
yarn between the needles, knit one ; repeat the same to the end 
of the row, finishing with two plain stitches. 

Third row — plain knitting. 

Fourth row — knit two, before placing the yarn, and continue as 
in second row. 

It is better to work this mat in lengths, and sew them together, 
as it would be too heavy to hold in the hand in one piece. 

CLOSE STITCH FOR A WAISTCOAT, ETC. 

To be knitted in two colours, — say claret and blue. 
Cast on any uneven number of stitches. 



28 



218 KNITTING. 

First row — with claret, — knit one ; slip one ; repeat to tlie 
end of tlie row. 

Second row — with claret, — knit one ; bring the wool forward, slip 
one ; pass the wool back, knit one ; repeat to the end of the 
row. 

Third row — with claret, slip one ; knit one ; repeat to the end 
of the row. 

Fourth row — bring the wool forward, slip one ; pass the wool, 
back, knit one ; repeat to the end of the row. 

Fifth and sixth rows — same as first and second, in blue. 



HONEYCOMB STITCH FOR A BAG. 

Cast on any number of stitches that can be divided by five. 

First round — bring the wool forward, knit two together, taken 
at the back ; knit three : — repeat to the end of the round. 

Second and third rounds — repeat the first, making one extra 
plain stitch at the commencement. 

Fourth round — plain knitting. 

Fifth round — bring the wool forward, knit three ; knit two 
together. 

Sixth and seventh rounds — same as the fifth. 

Eighth round — plain knitting, making one additional stitch, to 
bring the pattern correct in the next row. 



Cast on fifty stitches, and knit eighty plain rows ; sixty of 
which are to be rolled up to form the front. 



KNITTING. 219 

Sew together three inches of the cast on part ; and draw up 
the remainder for the crown. 

Cast on fifty stitches for the hood, and work forty plain rows. 

No. 18 needles, and double German wool. 

When finished, it may be lined with white silk or satin, and 
trimmed with narrow satin ribbon. 



LONG SLEEVES TO WEAR UNDER THE DRESS. 

No. 14 needles, and six-thread embroidery fleecy. 

Cast on forty-two stitches very loosely, alternately knit, and 
pearl, three stitches, for twelve turns. 

Knit ten turns plain. 

Knit thirty-five turns, plain, — increasing one stitch on each 
turn. 

Knit twenty turns, plain, — increasing one stitch every other 
turn. 

Repeat the twelve turns as at the commencement. 

OPEN STITCH FOR A LIGHT SHAWL, d'oYLEY, ETC. 

Cast on any number of stitches that can be divided by three. 
First row — bring the wool forward, knit two together, taken at 
the back ; slip one ; repeat to the end of the row. 
Every succeeding row is the same. 

JARRETIERES. 

Cast on eighteen stitches. 

Knit in double knitting in rows backwards and forwards, until 
of the desired length. 



220 KNITTING. 

EXPLANATION OF TERMS USED IN KNITTING. 

To cast on. — The first interlacement of the cotton on the 
needle. 

To cast off. — To knit two stitches, and to pass the first over 
the second, and so on to the last stitch, which is to be secured 
by drawing the thread through. 

To cast over. — To bring the cotton forward round the needle. 

To narrow. — To lessen, by knitting two stitches together. 

To seam. — To knit a stitch with the cotton before the needle. 

To luiden. — To increase by making a stitch, bringing the cotton 
round the needle, and knitting the same when it occurs. 

A turn. — Two rows in the same stitch, backwards and forwards. 

To turn. — To change the stitch. 

A row. — The stitches from one end of the needle to the other. 

A round. — A row when the stitches are on two, three, or more 
needles. 

A plain roio. — That composed of simple knitting. 

To pearl a rovj. — To knit with the cotton before the needle. 

To rib. — To work alternate rows of plain and pearl knitting. 

To bring the thread forward. — To bring the cotton forward so 
as to make an open stitch. 

A loop stitch. — Made by bringing the cotton before the needle, 
which, in knitting the succeeding stitch, will again take its own 
place. 

To slip or pass a stitch. — To change it from one needle to the 
other without knitting it. 

To fasten on — the best way to fasten on is to place the two 
ends contrariwise, and knit a few stitches with both together. 
For knitting with silk or fine cotton, a weaver's knot (as re- 
presented in the annexed engraving), will be found the best. 



KNITTING. 221 




To take under. — To pass the cotton from one needle to the 
other, without changing its position. 

Pearly seam, and rlb-siilch. — all signify the same. 

N.B. The sizes of the needles are given according to the filiere, 
drawn at page 94. 

It is necessary in giving or following directions for knitting, to 
caution knitters to observe a medium in their work— not knitting 
either too loose or too tight. 



HINTS ON KNITTING. 



A plain stitch at the beginning of each row, called by Madame 
Gaugain an edge stitch^ is a great improvement in most instances, 
as it makes an uniform edge, and the pattern is kept more even 
at its commencement. In most knitting, the edge-stitch is 
slipped. 

it is said that knitting should be taught to children, when 
young; it is curious to observe how much more readily those 
persons handle the needle, who have learnt it in childhood. 

It is easiest to learn to knit by holding the wool over the fin- 
gers of the left hand ; the position of the hands is more graceful 
when thus held. 

It is always advisable to cast on loosely. 

When it is requisite to cast of)^ and continue the row on a 
separate needle, it is sometimes better to run a coarse silk through 
the cast off stitches ; they are easily taken up when required, 



222 KNITTING. 



and the inconvenience of the idle needle is avoided, — as for in- 
stance, in working children's shoes.* 



* It is not perhaps generally known, that the crimson caps worn by the 
Turks (some of which are occasionally seen in this country), are knitted. 
The Fez manufactory of Eyoub, at Constantinople, estabUshed by Omer Lufti 
Effendi, is thus described, from a recent visit by Miss Pardoe. — "As we passed 
the threshold, a most curious scene presented itself. About five hundred fe- 
males were collected together in a vast hall, awaiting the delivery of the wool 
which they were to knit ; and a more extraordinary group could not per- 
haps be found in the world. There was the Turkess with her yashmac 
folded closely over her face, and her dark feridjhe falling to the pavement: 
the Greekwoman, with her large turban and braided hair, covered loosely with 
a scarf of white muslin, her gay-coloured dress, and large shawl : the Arme- 
nian, with her dark eyes flashing from under the jealous screen of her care- 
fully-arranged veil, and her red slipper peeping out under the long wrapping 
cloak : the Jewess, muffled in a coarse linen cloth, and standing a little 
apart, as though she feared to offend by more immediate contact : and among 
the crowd, some of the loveliest girls imaginable." 

This establishment is on a very extensive scale, three thousand workmen 
being constantly employed. The wool is spread over a stone-paved room, where 
it undergoes saturation with oil; it is then weighed out to the carders, and 
afterwards spun into threads of greater or less size, according to the quality 
of fez for which it is to be knit. The women then receive it in balls, each 
containing the quantity necessary for a cap ; and these they take home by 
half a dozen or a dozen at a time, to their own houses, and on restoring 
them, receive a shilling for each of the coarse, and seventeen pence for each 
of the fine ones. 

The fez afterwards undergoes various operations, such as felting, blocking, 
dyeing, etc., when it assumes the appearance of a fine close cloth. It is then 
carried to the marker, who works into the crown the private cypher cf the 
manufacturer, and affixes the short cord of crimson which is to secure the 
tassel of purple silk, with its curious appendage of cut paper. The last opera- 
tion is that of sewing on the tassels, and packing the caps into parcels con- 
taining half a dozen ca^h, stamped with the i.aperial seal. Fifteen thousand caps 
a month are produced at the manufactory of Eyoub. 

We must not close the subject of knitting, without briefly alluding to the 
productions of Barige, the Shetland Isles, and Sanquhar. 

The village of Barege, situated on the French side of the Pyrennees, at 
the foot of these lofty mountains, is celebrated for that peculiar description of 
knitting, where various coloured wools, and sometimes gold and silver, are in- 
troduced to form most elegant patterns. The knitting from the Shetland isles 



KNITTING. 223 

is very similar to that of Barege, but generally of one uniform colour. The 
wool with which the real Shetland knitting is done, is peculiar to these islands, 
and spun by the peasants; the paitcular rtce of sheep ficm which it is produced 
is said to resemble those in the mountains of Thibet, more than any other 
European breed. Sanquhar, in Dumfriesshire, was formerly celebrated for its 
manufacture of knit stockings; but that branch of industry received a fatal 
check at the commencement of the American war, although it still affords em- 
ployment for numerous families; and the particular description of stocking 
there made is still much prized. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



Kclling, 



"Not aine damzell, which her vaunteth most 
In skilfull knitting of soft silken twyne; 
Nor aine weaver, which his worke tloth boast 
In diaper, in damaske, or in lyne ; 
Nor aine skild in workmanship embost; 
Nor aine skild in loupes of fingring fine; 
Might in their divers cunning ever dare 
"With this so curious networke to compare." 

Spenser. 

"Ideal visits I often pay you, see you posting round your sylvan wallUf or 
sitting netting in your parlour, and thinking of your absent friend." 

Seaward's LetUrs. 

N the museum of Montbijou, at Berlin,* are pre- 
served specimens of the nets made by the Egyptians 
5^ above three thousand years since; and in this, and 
other collections, are some of the needles they em- 
ployed in netting — instruments similar to those of 
tlie present day. These nets are such as were used for fishing 



• This collection of Egyjitian antiquities was formed by M. Passalacqua and 
General Minutoli, and is one of the most curious in £uru|>c. 




NETTING. 225 

and fowling, but we are not to infer, tLat even in this remote 
age, they were ignorant of netting of a finer description : indeed, 
if we may credit the ancient writers, their productions of this 
kind far surpassed those of modern times.* 




There is scarcely a hunter or a fisherman who does not under- 
stand netting in its rudest and simplest style. The instruments 
rsquisite are, — a pin or mesh, on which the loops are made, and 
by which their size is consequently determined ; and a needle 
shaped into a fork of two prongs at each end, the ends of the 



* Their nets were made of flax, and some of the threads used for them 
were remarkable for their fineness; so delicate were these nets, says Pliny, 
(lib. xviii. c. 2) "that they would pass through a man's ring, and a single 
person could carry a sufficient number of them to surround a whole wood. 
Julius Lupus who died while governor of Egypt, had some of these nets, each 
string of which consisted of one hundred and fifty threads; a fact perfectly 
surprising to those who are not aware, that the Rhodians preserve to this day, 
in the Temple of Minerva, the remains of a linen corslet, presented to them 
by Amasis, king of Egypt, whose threads are composed each of three hundred 
and sixty-five fibres; and in proof of the truth of this, IVlutianus, who was 
thrice consul, lately affirmed at Rome, that he had examined it; and the rea- 
son of so few fragments remaining, was attributable to the curiosity of those 
who had frequently subjected it to the same scrutiny." — Herodotus flib. iii. c. 
47) also mentions this corslet, and another presented by the same king to the 
Laced.nsmonians. He says, " it was of linen, ornamented with numerous figures 
of animals worked in gold and cotton. Each thread of the corslet was worthy 
of admiration, for though very fine, every one was composed of three hundred 
and sixty other threads, all distinct; the quality being sunilar to t'lat dedi- 
cated to Minerva at Lindus." 



2^ 



226 NETTING. 

prongs meeting, and forming a blunt point, wliicli will allow of 
the needle being passed, either end foremost, through a small loop. 
The twine -wherewith the net is to be formed, is first wound upon 
the needle by passing it alternately between the prongs at each 
end, so that the turns of the twine may be parallel to the length 
of the needle and be kept on it by the forks. "With these instru- 
ments we will endeavour to explain the process of netting: for 
whether it be for a fisherman's net or a plain purse of the finest 
material, it is still the same. 

A foundation must first be made with a long loop of twine, 

; which may be fixed to any support, one end of the twine on the 
needle being attached by a knot to this loop. 1'he mesh or pin 
is then taken in the hft hand, between the thumb and two first 
finger?-, and held close up to the knot above-mentioned, and under 
the twine. The needle being neld in the righl Jiand between the 
thumb and forefingers (in the manner represented), is to be passed 
under and round the left hand, so that the twine may form a 
loose loop over all the fingers, except the lliUe one. The twine 
must be held in this position between the left-hand thumb and 
the upper front of the pin. The needle is then passed hack again 
round the pin, but allowing the twine from it to form^ a larger 
loop, to embrace the little finoer also. Bv this action the needle 
will be br^nght round m front of the pin ; and then must be 
pas.'^ed under the first loop, between the pin and the fingers hold- 
^lg it : also through the foundation loop ; and lastly, over the 
part of tlie twine which proceeds bar.Jcicards from the thumb to 
f)rni the second loop. This being done, the needle is to be held 
in iU position by means of the pin and the finger."?, until the right 

I hand can be broiight rouud to pull it through the passage in. 
which it is engaged. The needle being drawn out. and once 
more in the I'cht hand, all the fing^ers of the left are to be cis- 



NETTING. 227 

engaged from tlie loops of the twine, except tlie little one, wliich 
must still retain the second loop wlilcli was formed round it. By- 
means of this liold of the little finger, the twine must be drawn 
up to the pin, and the knot formed by these manoeuvres made 
tight on the foundation. 

A succession of loops is to be made by a repetition of this 
process, until as many have been formed on the foundation as 
may be necessary for ihe width of the net. As the pin is filled, 
or covered by tliese loops, it is to be pushed on to the right, and 
some loops alIow( d to drop off it at the left-hand end. I'he 
whole row being done, and the pin drawn out, a row of equal 
loops will be found hanging from the foundation attached by 
knots, and sliding freely along it. 

Having thus formed one row of meshes, the work is turned 
over, so as to reverse the ends of that row, in order that in net- 
ting a second back again, it may be done in the same direction as 
that in which the first was made, namely, — from left to riglit. 
To commence this second and all subsequent rows, place the pin 
again close up to the bottom of the last row of loops, and 
-epeat the action with i}\Q needle as before, only (hat instead of 
Saving to pass the needle through the loop of the foundation, pass 
it in succession, for every ncAV knot, through each loop of the 
row already done, each knot being thus formed at the bottom of 
the loop above it. In using the needle, a sufficient quantity of 
twine must be kept ahvays unwound off of it, to allow of its 
being moved freely round the pin and hand. 



228 



NETTING. 




The above engraving illustrates the knot made in netting, be- 
fore it is tightened, showing the turns of the twine which form it. 

PLAIN NETTED CENTLEMAN's PURSE. 

Five skeins of coarse netting silk, and a mesh No. 13, will be 
required. 

Net on a foundation of eighty stitches for the width, and 
continue until you have ten inches in length ; this will make a 
full-sized handsome purse. When done, net up the sides, and 
tack up the opening ; damp it slightly and put it on a purse 
stretcher, as in the annexed engraving, allowing it to remain for 
some time. When taken off the stretcher, untack the opening, 
gather up the ends, and put on the trimmings. 




Dark b.ue^ orown, crimson, and green, are the most serviceable 
colours. 



NETTING. 229 



Four skeins of fine netting silk, with a mesK No. 10, will be 
required ; the purse should be about nine inches in length. 1'hey 
are pretty when netted v/iih five rows of one colour, and three of 
anolher. Cerise and slates harmonize well ; — middle blue and 
yellow drab, green and stone colour, gold colour and brown, black 
and blue, light green and claret, — will all be found good. 

A gentleman's purse with ends of different colours. 

This will take two skeins of each coloured netting silk, and a 
No. 13 mesh. — Commence on a foundation of eighty stitches with 
dark green, net forty-five stitches, return back on them ; net 
thirty-five and return ; net twenty-five and return. — Commence 
with ponceau on the last stitch of the foundation, net thirty-five 
stitches to meet the green ; loop the needle in the green, and re- 
turn. — Net backwards and forwards until the whole of the green 
loops are filled up. Make the same pattern with ponceau, looping 
the needle into the green ; four points of each are sufficient for 
the purse. — Damp and stretch as before. 

Bright French blue, and stone colour, claret and middle greeOj 
drab and crimson, will make pretty purses. 

A lady's purse with points. 

Four skeins of fine netting silk, with a No. 9 mesh. Net on 
a foundation of ninety stitches with stone colour. Net fifty 
stitches, and return back on them ; net forty, and return ; net 
tliirty, and return. Proceed as with the former purse, with pon- 
coaif, making five points of each colour. 



230 NETTING. 

A PRETTY PURSE WITH CHINE SILK. 

The number of stitches on the foundation depends on the size 
of the silk. Net three rows with a plain coloured silk, and five 
with a chine silk. Repeat these rows alternately. 

One reel of plain, and two of chine silk will be required. 

NETTING WITH BEADS. 

When beads are to be introduced, a fine long darning needle is 
to be used instead of the netting needle, for working the bead 
rows. Thread the needle with a sufficient quantity of silk for 
each row, or part of a row, as may be necessary ; thread each 
bead as required, and pass it on the top of the mesh, net a stitch 
and pass the silk under the mesh, and through the bead, pass the 
silk back again under the mesh, and draw the bead with it, which 
leaves the bead on the knot. 

A PLAIN NETTED PURSE WITH A BEAD MOUTH. 

Four skeins of extra fine netting silk, and a mesh No. 6, 
are required. — Commence with a foundation of one hundred and 
twenty stitches, and net a piece seven inches in width. The 
mouth of the purse is made as follows : — the annexed engraving 
represents one side of it. 




No. 30. 

First row — net forty-two plain stitches ; one bead stitch ; one 
plain; two bead; two plain, — alternately eight times; one plain j 
one bead ; forty-two plain. 



NETTING. 



231 



Second row — net forty-five plain; three bead; one plain, — alter- 
nately eight timss; forty-fivo plain, 

Third row — net forty-six plain; two bead; two plain, — alter- 
nately eight times; forty-six plain. 

A PRETTY SEME PURSE WITH STEEL OR GOLD BEADS. 

Four skeins of fine netting silk, and a No, 8 mesh. 

Commence on a foundation of one hundred stitches. Net one 
plain row. In the second row, net a plain stitch and a bead 
stitch alternately. The next row is plain. In the fourth row, com- 
mence with the bead stitch. 

AN ELEGANT NETTED PURSE WITH STEEL BEADS. 



This will require four skeins of the finest netting silk, and a 
mesh No. 3, with very small steel beads. The ends of the foun- 
dation are joined, — the purse being netted round. 

Net four plain rows before the pattern commences. There are 
six sprigs of beads in the round, five stitches between each, as ia 
the following engraving. 




No. 31. 



In the first half of the purse there will be seven rows of these 
sprigs. The pattern is then reversed, to form the other end: the 



232 NETTING. 

points of the sprigs meeting eacli other. The opening of the 
purse commences wilh the fifth row of the pattern. The pattern 
is much more graceful in the netting, than can be represented on 
the diamonds of the engraving. 



PLAIN NETTED MITTENS. 

Commence on a foundation of forty-eight stitches with a No. 
12 mesh, and five skeins of fine black netting silk. Net four 
plain rows; then one row with a mesh double the size, which 
forms the loops for the ribbon. With the first mesh, net five 
plain rows. In the next row unite both ends, and net one plain 
round, increasing on the twelfth stitch. Net one, increase again, 
and net the remaining stitches. Net sixteen rounds, increasing 
two stitches to form the thumb on every alternate round in the 
same place as the first increase stitches. Unite the stitches in- 
tended for the thumb, net seven rounds for the length of the 
thumb, decreasing one or two stitches each round to make it set 
close. With the second mesh net two stitches in every loop. 
Net one roujid, taking the two stitches together, and finish with 
two or three rounds on a still finer mesh. Net as many rounds 
as are necessary to make the hand of the mitten, and finish as 
directed for the thumb. 

Run in the ribbon to tie at the wrist, and trim with lace. 

A knitter's bag with ring. 

Net on a foundation of sixty stitches with coarse netting silk 
or union cord, and a mesh No. 16. When the bag is of half 
the depth desired, net in a gilt ring, or one of wire, which has 
been previously covered with silk in button-hole stitch. Net the 



NETTING. 233 

other half of the bag. It is to be drawn up with a ribbon, and 
a bow or tassel placed at the bottom. 

A CHECKED OR DICE PATTERN PURSE» 

Two skeins of second-sized netting silk of a bright scarlet, and 
two of dark slate colour, with a mesh No. 10, will be required. — • 
Make a foundation of ninety-eight stitches, and commence with 
seven stitches of scarlet, nettins: seven rows. Join the slate-coloured 
silk to the seventh stitch of the first row of the scarlet, and again 
net seven more rows on the next seven stitches of the foundation, 
looping in the last scarlet stitch on each row. Repeat these 
squares of scarlet and slate colour, until the purse be sufficiently 
long, — reversing the squares. 

This is not the usual way of netting this purse, but we prefer 
it, as being the easiest. A round star of seven beads, as in pat- 
tern No. 30, may be effectively added in the centre of each square. 

Whenever the silk is cut off, enough must be left to make a 
weaver^s knot with the next colour. 

GRECLlN NETTING, OR FILET ROSE, 






No. 32. 



This is prettiest worked with fine silk, when two meshes, Nos. 
9 and 18, are required. Net one plain row with the large mesh. 



30 



234 



NETTING. 



In the next row, use the small mesh, put the silk rotind the 
lingers as in plain netting, pass the needle through the finger loop, 
into the first stitch, and from that pass it into the second, draw 
the second through the first, and again draw the first through the 
second, and finish the stitch by pulling the silk tight and with- 
drawing your fingers from the finger loops. The next stitch to 
be netted, is a small loop that appears to go across the stitches 
twisted together. These last movements form the pattern, which 
is to be repeated to the end of the row. The next row is plain 
netting with the large mesh. 

This may be used for mittens, purses, curtains, scarfs, &c., of 
course varying the size of the material and the meshes. 

A PURSE IN GRECIAN NETTING. 

Net three plain rows on a round foundation of fifty stitches, 
with a No 9 mesh. 

In the next row, with a No. 18 mesh, net the stitch as described 
in the preceding. When as many patterns are done as are suffi- 
cient for one end of the purse, net the opening backwards and 
forwards in plain netting on the small mesh, and finish the other 
end with Grecian netting as before. 

MITTENS IN GRECIAN NETTING. 



Net six plain rows on a foundation of fifty stitches with fine 
black netting silk, with a mesh No. 9. Net one row with a mesh 
No. 18, to form the holes for the ribbon. Net four plain rows 
with the small mesh, and one row with the large mesh. Com- 
mence the Grecian netting as before described, with the small 
mesh. Unite the two ends, and in the next round, increase hy 



NETTING. 235 

netting two stitches in one in the sixteenth loop. Net six stitches, 
and increase again, and then continue to the end of the round. 
Net fourteen rounds of the pattern, increasing as before in every 
third round. Unite the stitches intended to form the thumb, and 
net five rounds of the pattern. Finish by netting on the No. 9 
mesh two stitches in every loop, with the silk twice round the 
needle. Net one row, taking two loops together, and three rows 
of plain netting. The hand is to be continued and finished in 
the same way. — Trim the edges with lace. 

NETTED FRINGE. 

With a No. 18 mesh, net the length required, allowing the 
stitches to drop off on the left-hand end. Net another row the 
same. For the third row, take a flat mesh of the width of the 
fringe desired, the grooved edge being downwards, and net one 
row. These loops are then to be cut ; — they may be thus left, or 
knotted two and two. The size of the mesh mentioned is adapted 
for a fringe of coarse cotton, or four-thread fleecy, 

SINGLE DIAMOND NETTING. 




No. 33. 



Net on a foundation with fine silk, and No. 10 mesh. Every 
alternate stitch is to be made a loop stitch, by putting the silk 
twice round the mesh. 



NETTING. 



TREBLE DIAMOND NETTING. 



Net tliree plain rows for the commencement ; then — 

First row — make a loop stitch, by putting the silk twice round 
the mesh ; net three plain stitches ; repeat to the end of the tOW. 

Second row — net a plain stitch over the loop stitch ; make a loop 
stitch ; net two plain stitches ; repeat to the end of the row. 

Third row — net one or two plain stitches, as the pattern may- 
require ; make a loop stitch ; net a plain stitch ; repeat the two 
last alternately to the end of the row. 

Fourth row — net three plain stitches ; make a loop stitch ; re- 
peat to the end of the row. 

N.B. Always withdraw the mesh before netting the loop stitch. 

This netting is best adapted for D'Oyleys, tidies, etc. If for a 
purse, about forty or forty-five stitches will be required for the 
foundation. 

DIAMOND NETTING OF FIVE STITCHES, 









No. S4. 



Commence on a foundation of any odd number of stitches. 
First row — make one loop stitch; net five plain stitches; repeat 
to the end of the row — finish with a loop stitch. 



NETTING. 237 

Second row — net one plain, over loop stitch ; make one loop 
stitch ; slip out the mesh ; net four plain ; repeat — finish with a 
plain stitch, over loop stitch. 

Third row — net one plain ; make one loop stitch ; slip out the 
mesh ; net three plain ; slip out the mesh ; net one plain, over 
loop stitch ; repeat — finish with a plain stitch, over loop stitch. 

Fourth row — net one plain ; net one plain, over loop stitch ; 
slip out the mesh ; net two plain ; slip out the mesh ; net one 
plain, over loop stitch ; repeat — finish with a plain stitch. 

Fifth row — net one plain ; net one plain, over loop stitch ; make 
a loop stitch ; slip out the mesh ; net two plain ; slip out the 
mesh ; net one plain, over loop stitch ; repeat — finish with a plain 
stitch. 

Sixth row — net two plain ; net one plain, over loop stitch ; make 
a loop stitch ; net one plain, over loop stitch ; net one plain ; re- 
peat — finish with a plain stitch. 

Seventh row — net two plain; net one plain, over loop stitch; 
make a loop stitch ; net two plain ; repeat — finish with a plain 
stitch. 

Eighth row — net three plain ; slip out the mesh ; net one plain 
over loop stitch ; slip out the mesh ; net one plain ; repeat — finish 
with a plain stitch. 

Ninth row — net two plain ; slip out the mesh ; net one plain, 
over loop stitch ; slip out the mesh ; net one plain ; repeat — finish 
with a plain stitch. 

Tenth row — net two plain ; slip out the mesh ; net one plain, 
over loop stitch ; net one plain ; net one plain, over loop stitch ; 
make a loop stitch ; slip out the mesh ; repeat — finish with a plain 
stitch. 

Eleventh row — net one plain ; slip out the mesh ; net one plain, 
over loop stitch ; net two plain ; net one plain, over loop stitch ; 



238 NETTING. 

make a loop stitcli ; slip out the mesh ; repeat — finish with a plain 
stitch. 

Twelfth row — net one plain ; net one plain, over loop stitch ; 
net three plain ; net one plain, over loop stitch ; repeat — finish 
with a loop stitch. 

Commence a2;ain as at first row. 



SEME FURSE, DIAMOND PATTERN. 

Extra fine netting silk, with steel or gold beads, and 9 mesh 
No. 3. 

Net on a round foundation of seventy-two stitches ; net four 
plain rows. In the next row, place a bead on every sixth stitch ; 
in the next, on every fifth and sixth stitch, and in the next, again 
on every sixth, so as to form a diamond. Net four plain rows, 
and repeat the pattern in beads, so as to come in the centre stitch 
of the former rows. 




The above pattern is intended for the opening of the purse, in 
beads, reversed in the centre. It may also be used for a purse in 
different coloured stripes, each alternate stripe having the pattern 
ia steel beads. 



NETTING. 



239 



PLAIN OPEN NETTING, OR FILET A BAGUETTE. 




No. 35. 



Commence with three or four rows of plain netting ; then one 
row of loop stitches, — made by putting the silk twice round the 
mesh. Kepeat from the three rows of plain netting. 



FOND DE BERLIN. 



Le fond de Berlin se tricote de la maniere suivante: apres avoir 
fait quelques rangees de mailles ordinaires, on passe le fil une fois 
autour du moule ; au lieu de prendre tout de suite la maille sui- 
vante. on la cherche avec la pointe de la navette a travers celle 
qui se trouve dessus ; I'ayant courbee un peu vers soi on y passe 
la navette, et Ton tire fortement le fil. La maille voisine un peu 
tiree par la, s'avance et forme une petite oreille. Elle est achevee 
aussitot de la maniere ordinaiie. Apres cela, on passe le fil autour 
du moule, et I'on procede, comme il vient d'etre enseigne, jusqu'a 
la fin de la rangee, en observant d'alterner. Lorsqu'on ote les 
mailles, il s'en trouve alternativement de grandes et de petites. 
Dans la rangee suivante, elles sont toutes egales ; mais il faut bien 
prendre garde a la tension du fil parce que de deux noeuds I'un 



240 NETTING. 

doit etre lache, lorsque la maille est petite. La troisieme rangee 
est tricotee coinme la premiere, et la quatrieme comme la seconde, 
et ainsi de suite. Dans la premiere rangee, la maille voisine de 
celle qui est entrelacee, se trouve un peu etroite, mais dans les 
suivantes, elle est plas grande, et se tricote aussi commodement 
que les autres. 

FILET ROSE. 

C'est presque de la meme maniere que se tricote le fond de 
Berlin, Lorsqu'il y a quelques rangees de mailles ordinaires 
de faites, et qu il s'agit de commencer le filet-rose, on met le 
fil comme de coutume, sans le passer autour du moule ; mais 
avant de tricoter une maille, il f'aut la cherclier, comme dans 
le fond de Berlin, a travers celle qui se trouve dessus. La 
maille voisine qui se tend aussi en prenant la forme d'une 
p9tite oreille, est tricotee tout de suite, comme a 1' ordinaire : 
la troisieme se fait de meme que la premiere, et ainsi de suite. 
La rangee suivante se tricote de la maniere accoutumee, mais 
la troisieme doit etre semblable a la premiere, et la quatrieme 
a la seconde ; ce filet se continue de la sorte jusqu'a la fin. 

FILET A BATON ROMPU. 

Une fort belle espece de filet, c'est celui qui ressemble a 
un baton rompu. En commenqant une rangee, on passe le fil 
line fjis autour du moule, et la maille se tricote comme a 
Fordinaire ; la seconde se fait sans qu il solt necessaire de passer 
le fil autour du moule, mais la troisieme doit etre semblable 
a la premiere, et ainsi de suite alternativement. Dans cette 
espece de tricotage, il faut que les mailles soient en nombre 
pair, parcc qu'a la derniere de chaque rangee, le fil ne doit 
pas etre passe autour du moula, Ijrsqu'il I'a ete a k premiere. 



NETTING. 241 

Clnand la premiere rangee est finie, il se trouve une grande 
maille et une petite sur deux. L'on fait ensuite les mailles 
egales a la maniere accoutumee. La troisieme rangee est 
semblable a la pr'^niiere, et la quatrieme a la seconde, et ainsi 
de suite jusqu'a la fia du filet. Trois sortes de carres differ- 
ents, de grands et de petits, de parfaits et de longs, se sucsedent 
alternativement dans ce tricotage, et lai donnent une fort belle 
apparence. 

FILET ROND. 

Le filet rond se tricote comme a Tordinaire, avee cette dif- 
ference, qu'au lieu de passer la navette dans une maille, de bas 
en liaut, on la passe de haut en bas. De cette maniere, les 
mailles deviennent rondes, et le tissu rec^oit beaucoup d'elasticite. 
Partout le fil a fair d'etre tors. 

NETTED MITTENS WITH SILK AND WOOL. 

First round — net on a foundation of one hundred and twelve 
stitclies with black netting silk, No. 13 mesh. 

Second round — plain netting with blue wool, over an ivory- 
mesh half an inch deep. 

'J bird round — with silk, — netting two stitches in one, with the 
first mesh. 

Fourth round — same as second. 

Fifth and sixth rounds — with black silk. 

Seventh round — bkie wool v/ith ivory mesh. An India-rubber 
l>and, or a ribbon passes through this row, to secure the mitten 
at the wrist. 

Eighth and ninth rounds — black silk, 

Tenlh round — blue wool, on ivory mesh, — one quarter of an 
inch ill width. 



31 



2'12 KETTIXO. 

Repeat alternately two of black, and one of blue, for eight 
rounds. 

The nineteenth round — will be two of black silk, — when fifteen 
stitches are to be united to form the thumb, which is netted in 
alternate rounds of silk and wool, until of sufficient length. Con- 
tinue the other part in the same manner, and finish with three 
or four rounds of black silk. 

NETTED CUFF WITH SILK AND WOOL. 

First and second rows — net on a foundation of ninety-six 
stitches, and net one plain row with middle blue lloss silk, and a 
mesh No. 1 1. 

Third row — with an ivory mesh halfan-inch wide, with bulT 
German wool. 

Fourth row — with small mesh, net two stitches in one with 
wool. 

Net fourteen rows alternately with the large and small meshes 
for the inside half of the cuff. 

Nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first rows — in dark brown 
wool. 

Net two rows with the smnll mesh on blue silk, alternately with 
seven rows of woj], in sliades from brown to light buff and 
finish with an edge as at the commencemsnt. 

'i'his cuil" is to be sewn up at the side, or it may be worked in 
rounds. 



The fancy stitches in nettlns; are best calculated for scarfs. 
D'Oyleys, curtains, etc. It is easy to apply any of the abave 
directions, by merely using the cotton.<5, wools, and meshes, of the 
size best adapted for the various purposes. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



Braibing anb !^ppliqnc 



" Show me the piece of needlework you wroiurhf." 

BkaUMUNT and i-LaTCIlER. 




RAIDING, altliougli the most simple kind of 
ornamental needle work, is nevertheless capable of 
great beauty and perfection — The costly works 
in gold and silver, executed by the I'urks and 
the inhabitants of the Greek islands, are princi- 
pally of this description. 

Braid may be worked upon velvet, cloth, satin, silk, or leather: 
either is equally suitable, according, as it may be adapted to 
the articla tha work is designed fjr ; but braiding on velvet 
intermixed with gold, is the most elegant and recherche. The 
pattern (the lines of which should be kept curved as much as 
possible), must be drawn on the material. IMie principal art in 
woiking, consists in keeping the braid or cord exactly in a line 



244 BRAIDING AND APPLIQU^. 

with the drawing, taking care that the various scrolls are well 
rounded and even, and the corners sharply turned. jViuch of the 
beauty of the work depends on making the sharp turns flat and 
pointed, — which must be done by properly sewing the braid at 
their extreme points ; the stitches should be regular, and of an 
equal length. Every separate piece of braid or cord must be 
commenced and finished, by passing its end through, and under 
the material, with a braid needle. Where gold cord is intended 
to be sewn on by the side of the braid, the line of the drawing 
should be carefully preserved above that of the braid ; and care 
must always be taken to keep the braid, in every part, either 
within or without the line of the pattern, which, if not attended 
to, will completely destroy the effect of the design. 

Groups of flowers are sometimes worked in different coloured 
braids ; but this description of work is very tedious, and unless 
beautifully arranged, it has a common appearance ; nevertheless 
most beautiful specimens are occasionally to be seen. 

The prettiest kind of braiding is that where a silk braid is ac- 
companied, on one or both sides, with a fine gold cord, — a species 
of Avork adapted for bags, folios, sachets, boxes, note cases. &c. 
By a skilful admixture of different coloured braids with gold braid 
and gold cord, a splendid effect may be produced. Gold or 
union cord, in a vermicelli pattern, may be tastefully introduced ; 
and where braid alone is used, it can be varied by the addition 
of eplne with gold passing, or silk. 

It is preferable to use the silk of the braid itself for serving it 
on, as, from it'' thus matching exactly in colour, the stitclies can- 
not so well be detected. '^I'his may be done by cutting off a piece 
of brnid the Ungth of a needh^ful of silk, and drawing out each 
thread as required. All braid work, except tliat on velvet, wlicn 
finished, should be passed under a roller, the face of the work 



BRAIDING AND ATPLIQUE. 

being covered with tissue 

much to the beauty of its yppearance 



245 



g covered witn tissue paper: this flattens tlie braid, and adds 



ArPLTQUK is the laying of one material over another. — as cloth, 
for instance, wliere one or more pieces of different shapes and 
coljurs, in tlie form of flowers or other figures, are placed on the 
suri*;u-e of another piece which forms the ground, and are after- 
wards seen red at their edges with braids or cord. This style of 
work has been practised in some instances with so much tasle and 
ingenuity, that it has rivalled embroidery, and for many Tuikish 
designs seems almost preferable to any other kind. 

Applique may be composed of pieces of cloth, velvet, satin, silk, 
or leather, cut into the shape of flowers, scrolls, or other designs. 
'i"he p-Utern should be drawn upon the material intended for the 
aji|)liqn6, and a corresponding one upon that forming the ground, 
which latter may also consist of either of the above materials. 
If velvet, satin, or silk, be used, it will be necessary to have a 
thin paper pasted at the back, before the applique is cut out, 
which renders them firmer, and prevents their unraveling. These 
])ieces are to be carefully tacked down on the material, and the 
edges worked with braid or cord, the colours of which may be 
varied according to taste ; but where flowers are intended to be 
represented, a braid, the colour of the flower or leaf, is to be pre- 
ferred. The leaves may be veined with braid or cord, or with 
twisted silk ; and the centres of some flowers may be Avoiked in 
Frencli knots. (See page 122 ) Vine leaves are peculiarly adapted 
to this description of work, the tendrils of which may be formed 
of union cord. 

For bags and folios, a very pretty kind of applique may be 
made, by using various coloured silks on a ground of cachemir or 
merino. Velvet applique, edged with gold cord, on satin, or 



243 BRAIDING AND APPLIQUK, 

velvet, is alsd suitable for bags, slippers, sachets, caps, pillows, etc. 
Satin, edged with chenille, is sometimes used ; as also morocco 
leather, or kid, stamped with designs in gold : when placed on 
satin, velvet, or cloth, the latter should be edged with gold braid 
or cord, and may be farther enriched, by the margin of the 
leather being cut into scallops or Vandykes, and the gold cord 
turned into a circle at each point. For table-cover borders, otto- 
mans, and other large pieces of work, a set pattern may be used 
with good effect, when embroidery can be introduced into some 
of the compartments, giving it a very rich and Persian like ap- 
pearance. 

A beautiful description of applique, combined with embroidery, 
was much in vogue a few years since, particularly for handscreens, 
where the flowers and leaves were formed of velvet, and the stalks 
embroidered with gold bullion. Some of these " fleurs de fantaisie" 
were made flat, others were raised by numerous small velvet 
leaves, carefully laid one partly over the other, and tacked down 
with a fine silk ; these leaves (lames de velours) re(juired to be 
accurately cut with a steel punch. 



1 



CHAPTER XX. 



J3cab tOorli. 



"With stones embroider'd, of a wondrous mass; 
About the horder, in a curious fret, 
Emblems, impresas, hieroglyphics set." 

Dbavtojc. 




HE Germans excel in all kinds of bead work, 
some of which are extremely beautiful ; they 
are principally applicable to small articles, such 
as folios, presse-papiers, card and cigar cases. 
/^.^^^^crs^' Purses and bags are made of beads, but their 
weight renders them sometimes objectionable. 

The paucity of colours in which glass beads can be obtained, 
limits this description of work to arabesque, gem, and scroll pat- 
terns, or for working flowers in neutral tints : other designs, such 
as flowers and figures, are sometimes executed, but, from the want 
of the proper shades, they are extremely defective. The opaque 



248 BEAD WORK. 

turquoise beads, — among the most beautiful of tbose manufactured, 
are generally used for the grounds ; an opal bead, lately intro- 
duced, is extremely pretty intermixed wiih others. 

Besides glass beads, gilt and silver beads, both plain and cut, 
and steel beads, are frequently used for this kind of work ' the 
latter, [or the sake of variety, being sometimes manufactured of a 
dark purple tint. 

The designs for bead work are generally taken from Berlin pat- 
terns : the beads are attached to a canvas by a waxed sewing silk, 
but a fine twisted cotton thread is used for this purpose in Ger- 
many. Half cross stitch, or across two threads each way of the 
canvas on the slant, is the usual method of working them. 

Beads of all kinds are commonly introduced by the Germans 
into their patterns, the principal portions of which are worked 
with Avool or silk, whether on cotton or sillc canvas, and not un- 
frequently with a pleasing effect. The use of beads, however, in 
the higher departments of the art, when we wish to imitate paint- 
ing, is totally inadmissible — at least, if we have any regard for 
the laws of good taste. In historical subjects, even the admixture 
of gold and silver threads, is not in good keeping ; but to enrich 
parts of the drapery and other portions of the design with heavy 
masses of beads,, or with raised work, as is frequently done in 
Germany, is so gross an infringement of all the proprieties of art, 
that it cannot be too scrupulously avoided. 

Some of the most beautiful bead work is done in iricot, Avith a 
fine cotton or silk ; but it is a more laborious and expensive 
method of producing the same effect, although for some [ew pur- 
poses it is infinitely superior. Purses made with beads, in imita- 
tion of netting, are also very pretty, but perhaps more curious 
than useful. 

With respect to beads, it may not here be improper to observe. 



BEAD WORK. 



249 



that a great difference exists in the quality of all sorts of steel 
and gill beads, causing a variation sometimes of as much as three 
or four hundred per cent, in their va'ue : to those who cannot at 
first perceive the difference, time will soon show the inferiority in 
the wear of the one in comparison with the o.her. 

Bead work may be done on canvas of several sizes, according 
to the size of the beads ; tlie canvas usually employed measures 
about thirty-eight threads to the inch.* 



* It is, perhaps, not generally known, that all the glass beads used for needle- 
work are nianufdctured at Murano, near Venice. Tubes of coloured glass are 
drawn out to great lengths and fineness, in the same manner as those of more 
moderate lengths are made in this country for thermometers; these are cut into 
very small pieces, of nearly uniform lengths, on the upright edge of a fixed 
chisel. These elementary cylinders are then put into a mixture of fine sand 
and wood ashes, where they are stirred about until their cavities get filled. This 
mixture is then put into an iron [)an, suspended over a moderate fire, where, 
by being kept continually stirred, they assume a smooth rounded form. They 
are then removed from the fire, cleared out in the bore, and strung in bunches, 
constituting the beads as we meet with them in commerce. Great quantities 
of these beads, packed in casks, are exported to all parts of the world. 



32 



CHAPTER XXI. 



NecbletDork of tl)e 
Qcn^UsI) (Queens anb princessc©, 



'And, round about, her worke she did empale 
With a faire border wrought of sundrie liowres, 
Enwoven with an yvie-winding trayle : 
A goodly worke, full fit for kingly bowres; 
Such as dame Pallas, such as Envie pale, 
That all good things with venomous tooth devowres, 
Could not accuse." 

Spenser, 

She wrought so well in needle-worke, that shee, 
Nor yet her workes, shall ere forgotten be." 

John Taylor. 




HEN this volume was commenced, a list of con- 
tents was framed, to which we intended to adhere, 
and each chapter has been written in accordance 
with the plan. The present one was proceeding 
in the steps of its predecessors, when we dis- 
covered that we had already exceeded the limits proposed, and we 



.,] 



NEEDLEWORK OF THE ENGLISH QUEENS. 251 

are unwillingly obliged to treat this interesting portion of our 
subject more brieliy than was at first intended, to the sacrifice in- 
deed of much valuable material. 

In a former chapter, mention has been made of the works of 
the four daughters of Edward the Elder, as also of the astonish- 
ing labours of Matilda, consort of William the Conqueror. The 
second wife of Henry I, — Adelais, the daughter of Godfrey, duke 
of Lorraine, — was celebrated for her needlework ; and an especial 
mention is made of an embroidered standard, of her work. 

The first queen of Henry VUl, Katharine of Arragon, devoted 
most of her leisure hours to needlework. " In her greatness," 
says Bishop Burnet, " she wrought much with her own hands, 
and kept her women well employed about her."* Shakspeare, in 
the third act of his Henry VIII, represents Katharine as engaged 
at needlework with her women, when the two cardinals, AVolsey 
and Campeius, are introduced to her presence. The scene com- 
mences with : — 

Q. Kath. Take thy lute wench : my soul grows sad with troubles : 
Sing, and disperse them, if thou canst : leave working. 

Taylor, also, in the " Needles Excellency," speaks of her as 
celebrated for her needlework : — 

" I Read that in the seventh King Hmries raigne, 

Fair Katharine, Daughter of the Castile King, 
Came into England with a pompous traine 

Of Spanish ladies, which she thence did bring. 
She to the eighth King Henry married was, 

And afterwards divorc'd, where vertuously 
(Although a Queene), yet she her days did passe 

In working with the Needle curiously. 



* " History of the Reformation," p. 192. 



252 NEKDLEWORK OF THE ENGLISH CiUEEXS. 

As in the Towre, and places more beside, 
Hor excellent raemorialls may be scene ; 

Whereby the N:e..ys prayse is dignifiiie 

By her faire Ladies, and h^rselfe a Gtueene. 

Thus far her p jnes, here her reward is iust, 

Her vvorkes piooiaLaie her prayse, thou^^h she be dust." 



Anne Boleyn, who was educated at the Court oF Francis I, de- 
voted a large portion of her time to the occupation of the needle, 
in working tapestry.* 

Sir Thomas Chaloner, in his elegy on Lady Jane Grey, com- 
mends her not only for her beauty, but alio for that which was a 
greater charm, her intell gent and interesting style of conversation. 
He speaks of her stupendous skill in languages, being well versed 
in eight, — the Latin, Greek, Hebrew. Chaldaic, Arabic, French, 
and Italian, besides that of her native land, in which she was 
well grounded. He further observes that she was a proficient in 
instrumental music, wrote a beautiful hand, and was as excellent 
at her needle, f 



" Of broken workes wroght many a goodly thing, 
In castyng, in turnyng, in florishing of flowrcs, 
With burres rowgh, and buttens surfTyilyng, 



* Vide Miss Benger's "Life of Anne Eoleyn," vol. i. p. 125. Peter de 
Bourdeilles (more generally known by the name of Brantomej, in his Me- 
moircs des Dames illustres," informs us, that Anne de Bretagne, the mother 
of Claude, wife of Francis I, assembled three hundred of the children of the 
nobility at her court, where, under her personal superintendence, they were in- 
structed in the accomplishments becoming their rank : and that the girls devoted 
a great portion of their time to the working of tapestries. 

t In the Town Library at Zurich, are three autograph Latin letters of Lady 
Jane Grey, addressed to her preceptor Bullinger, in a beautifully clear and 
regular hand ; — a few grammatical errors have been remarked in them. There 
is also a toilet, embroidered by her, which she presented to Bullinger. 



NEEDLEWORK OF THE ENGLISH QUEENS. 253 

In nedell worke, rasyng byrdes in bowres, 
With vertue enbased all tymes and howres,"* 

Of the needlework of dueen Mary, we hare now no traces,! 
but from the fjllawing sonnet of John Taylor's, it would appear 
that some of her labours were in existence in his time. 

" Her daughter Mrry here the scepter swaid, 

And though shee were a Glueene of niiirjity power, 
Her memory will never be decaid, 

Which by her workes are likewise in the Tower, 
In WuK.aor Castle, and in Himfion Court, 

In that most pompous roome call'd Paradise: 
Who euer pleaseth thither to resort. 

May see some workes of hers, of wondrous price. 
Her greatnesse held it no dis-reputation 

To take the Needle in her lloyall hand ; 
Which was a good example to our Nation 

To banish idleness from out her Land. 
And thus this Glueene, in wisdome thought it fit, 
The needles worke pleas'd her, and she grac'd it." 

Q.ueen Elizabeth, like her sister Mary, has also been extolled 
by the same author for her needlework. In the Bodleian Library 
at Oxford, is preserved a copy of the Epistles of St. Paul, the 
binding of which is said to have been embroidered by that queen 
when princess. 

" When this great Queene, whose memory shall not 
Fy any terme of time be ovorcast : 
For when the worl I, and all therein shall rot 
Yet shall her glorious fame for ever last. 



* rkelton's Crnyrn,". of Lnvr'H. 

t In the Library of the British Musrum is preserved Queen Mary's Psalter. 
ft is hiirhly illu ninated ; the exterior bears the remains of what was once a 
binding of splendid embroidery. 



2j4 needlework of the English queens. 

Y/hen she a maid, had many troubles past, 
From layle to layle by Maries angry spleene ; 
And IVoos'od's ajid the Tower in prison fast, 
And after all was Englanu^s peeriesse Clueene. 
Yet howsoeuer sorrow came or went, 
She made the Needle her companion still, 
And in tliat exercise her time she spent, 
As many living yet doe know her skill, 
Thus she was still a Captive, or else crownd, 
A Needle woman Royall and renown'd." 

To Mary, Q,ueen of Scots, needlework was a great source of 
amusement. During her imprisonment at Tutbury Castle, it 
afforded her great solace at those intervals not devoted to 
reading and composition. At the time she held her court in 
Scotland, she gave four or five hours every day to state affairs j 
she was accustomed to have her embroidery frame placed in 
the room where her privy council met, and while she plied her 
needle, she listened to the discussions of her ministers, dis- 
playing in her opinions and suggestions a vigour of mind and 
a quickness of perception which astonished the statesmen around 
her : at other times, she applied herself to literature, particularly 
poetry and history.* Several pieces of the work of this unfor- 
tunate queen are preserved in. the castles of the nobility in 
Scotland. At Allanton House. v»^as formerly a splendid bed 
embroidered by Mary Stuart and her ladies ; but this was unfor- 
tunately burnt by accident. At Holyrood Palace, in her chamber, 
is shewn a box covered with her needlework. 

Of the industry of Clueen Mary, Princess of Orange, we have 
some remains in the palace at Hampton Court. Needlework was 
her favourite amusement. '* She used," says Bishop Burnet 
" all possible methods for reforming whatever was amiss ; she took 



♦ Mrs. Jameson's Memoirs of cekbrated Female Sovereigns, vol. i. p. 243. 



NEEDLEWORK OF THE ENGLISH QUEENS. 



255 



ladies off from that idleness, which not only wasted their time, 
but exposed them to many temptations. She engaged many both 
to read and to work ; she wrought many hours a-day herself, 
with her ladies and her maids of honour working about her, while 
one read to them all. The female part of the court had been, in 
the former reigns, subject to much censure ; and there was great 
cause for it : but she freed her courts so entirely from all sus- 
picion, that there was not so much as a colour for discourses of 
that sort: she did divide her time so regularly, between her closet 
and business, her work and diversion, that every minute seemed 
to have its proper employment."* 

The late Q,ueen Charlotte was exceedingly fond of needlework, 
and was solicitous that the princesses should excel in the same 
amusing art. In the room in which her Majesty used to sit with 
her family, were some cane-bottomed chairs, and when playing 
about, the princesses were taught the different stitches on this rude 
canvas. As they grew older, a portion of each day was spent 
in this employment, and with their royal mother as their com- 
panion and instructress, they became accomplif^^hed needlewomen. 

The Q.iieen herself embroidered the dresses Avhich the princesses 
wore on the fete given on the occasion of the Prince of Wales 
coming of age. These dresses were in white crepe, embroidered 
with silver ; they were exceedingly elegant, and so we are told were 
the wearers. Her Majesty Kkewlse embroidered a dress in Dacca 
silk for the Princess Royal, which was tastefully and beautifully 
executed. Several sets of chairs, some of which may still be seen 
at Frogmore and Windsor, likewise show the superiority of the 
royal needlework. These were the labours of lier younger days, 
but Iler Majesty afterwards amused her leisure hours with knit- 



* History of his own Time, \ol. iv. p. 225. 



256 NEEDLEWORK OF THE ENGLISH QUEENS. 

ting and knotting, and the amount of work so done is perfectly- 
marvellous. Towards the close of her life, finer works were 
thrown aside, and Her Majesty taking altogether to knitting, the 
poorest of her subjects (as we are informed on indisputable 
authority) profited by these — the labours of a queen. 

The Princess Royal, Q,ueen of AViirtemberg, devoted much of 
her time to needlework. Among the principal ornaments of 
the handsome palace of the King of Wurtemberg at Stuttgart, 
are the beautiful and elaborate specimens of needlework, covering 
chairs, sofas, screens, and other articles of furniture, all specimens 
of the skill, patience, and taste of the late lamented queen. 
The Princess Sophia particularly excelled in needlework, and it 
was also the favourite occupation of the Princesses Augusta 
and Amelia. 

The Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester, daily amuses her- 
self with her needle ; and scarcely a charity bazaar is held, 
to which she does not contribute some of the work of lier 
own hands. We believe that Her Royal Highness refuses even 
any assistance, however trilling, iu the labours she once 
undertakes. 

The work done by the late Duchess of York, at Oatlands, is 
now widely dispersed. '1 he Duchess was the projector and 
arranger of all, but she was assisted in the execution by her 
ladies and protegees. Her labours are so various and of such 
magnitude, as almost to defy belief Berlin patterns were then 
unknown, or but just invented, and her designs were all drawn 
on the canvas. In on<i of the anterooms at Buckingliam 
Palace, are a sofa and six elbow chairs, the work of Her 
Royal Ili"hiiess. The backs, seats, sides, and borders, boiii in- 
side and out, are eulirely of needlewoik. 'J'lie ])aUen\ on the 
back and scut of the sola is a basket turned on one side, out 



NEEDLEWORK OF THE ENGLISH QUEENS. 257 

of which flowers are falling, so arranged as to extend over the 
centres ; these are surrounded with a border of various leaves 
in different shades of green : amongst which are the ivy, vine, 
shamrock, and thistle. The flowers and borders are in tent 
stitch ; the ground is in German stitch. There is a deep 
border in front of the sofas and chairs, in marron, with a kind 
of arabesque, or rather that style of border much used in the 
time of Louis Quatorze ; the ground of this is different, but ex- 
tremely rich, and the colours on it are so thoroughly brought out 
that the eflfect is perfect. The ends of the sofa, both inside and 
outside, are worked to match. The ground is now a cream 
colour, but we suppose it to have been white ; the chairs match 
the sofa, and they are alike beautiful in taste, design, and exe- 
cution ; they are all done in silk. There was also another set of 
furniture worked by the Duchess of York, consisting of chairs, 
ottomans, and sofas, in tent stitch, drawn out on satin, and we do 
not know of any work in Jil tire previously to this date. 

Did we not fear to intrude on the sacred threshold of Queen 
Adelaide's retirement, how much might be said of her extended 
and useful labours. Her introduction of needlework as a fashion, 
and making it a requisite to those ladies who were the invited 
guests at her court, caused many to admire, and in time be- 
come skilled in that which was only taken up for convenience. 
The splendid works which might be cited of many ladies of the 
present day would never perhaps otherwise have been in existence; 
and, tlirough this, thousands in the humbler ranks of life have 
been and are supported, not to mention that much ingenuity and 
taste are daily called forth which might have been unknown. 

We understnnd that I lor Majesty and hor Royal Highness the 
Duchess of Kent are admirers of needlework, and patronise it. 



33 



CHAPTER XXIL 



(SionclnBion, 



THE PRAISE OF THE NEEDLE, 



"Taylor, their better Charon, lends an oar, 
Once swan of Thames, though now he smgs no more." 

Pope's Dunciad, 



N the course of this volume, we have frequently 
quoted from a poem, written by John Taylor, 
the water-poet, and prefixed to a work, entitled 
" The Needle's Excellency, of which the twelfth 
edition was published in 1640. This work being 

extremely rare, we are tempted to reprint this poem verbatim from 

tbe original edition.* 



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* A copy of this book was in the collection of the late Francis Douce, Esq. 
which he bequeathed to the Bodleian Library, at Oxford. It is an oblong 
quarto. The title runs thus : — " The Needle's Excellency A New Booke 
wherein are diuers Admirable Workes lorought toith tJie needle. Neiohj inuented 
and cut in Copper for the pleasure and profit of the Industrious. Printed for 
James Boler, and are to be sold at the Signe of the Marigold in Paules Church 
yard. The 12th Edition enlarged with diuers new workes as needleworkes 



THE PRAISE OF THE NEEDLE. 259 



THE PRAISE OF THE NEEDLE. 

" To all dispersed sorts of arts and trades, 
J writ the needles prayse (that never fades) 
So long as children shall be got or borne, 
So long as garments shall be made or worne. 
So long as Hemp or Flax or Sheep shall bear 
Their linnen woollen fleeces yeare by yeare : 
So long as Silk-wormes, with exhausted spoile. 
Of their own Entrailes for mans gaine shall toyle : 
Yea till the world be quite dissolu'd and past; 
So long at least, the Needles use shall last : 
And though from earth his being did begin, 
Yet through the fire he did his honour win : 
And vnto those that doe his service lacke, 
Hee's true as Steele and mettle to the backe. 
He hath I per se eye, small single sight, 
Yet like a Pigmy, Polipheme in fight : 
As a stout Captaine, bravely he leades on, 
(Not fearing colours) till the worke be done. 
Through thicke and thinne he is most sharpely set, 
With speed through stitch, he will the conquest get. 
And as a souldier Frenchefyde with heat, 
Maim'd from the warres is forc'd to make retreat; 
So when a Needles point is broke, and gone. 
No point Mounsieur, he's maim'd, his worke is done. 
And more the Needles honour to advance, 
It is a Taylors lavelin, or his Launce ; 



purles & others neuer before printed, 1640." On the title page is an engrav- 
ing of three ladies in a flower garden, under the names of Wisdome, Industrie, 
and Follie. " The praise of the Needle," as given above, is prefixed to the 
work, then " Here follow certaine Sonnets in the Honorable memory of Clueenes 
and great Ladies, who have bin famous for their rare Inventions and practise 
with the Needle." There are six sonnets to Gtueen Elizabeth, the Countess of 
Pembroke, and others ; — some of which we have quoted in the preceding chap- 
ter. The seventh is addressed " To all degrees of both sexes, that love or Hue 
by the laudable imployment of the needle." Another copy of this book is pre- 
served in the Library of the British Museum. It appears to have gone through 
twelve impressions ; and its scarcity is accounted for by the supposition, that 
such books were generally cut to pieces, and used by women to work upon or 
transfer to their samplers. 



260 



THE PRAISE OF THE NEEDLE. 



And for my Countries quiet, I should like, 

That women-kinde should vse no other Pike. 

It will increase their peace, enlarge their store, 

To use their tongues lesse, and their Needles more, 

The Needles sharpenesse, profit yeelds, and pleasure, 

But sharpenesse of the tongue, bites out of measure. 

A Needle (though it be but smaii and slender) 

Yet it is both a maker and a mender : 

A graue Reformer of old Llenls decayd, 

Stops holes and seames a id desperate cuts displayd, 

And thus without the N ^dle ve may see 

We should without our Bibs and Biggins bee ; 

No shirts or Smockes, our nakednesse to hide, 

No garments gay, to make us magnifide : 

No shadowes, Shapparoones, Caules, Bands, Ruffs, KufTs, 

No Kerchiefes, Gluoyfes, Chin-clouts, or Marry-MufTes, 

No cros-cloaths. Aprons, Hand-kerchiefes, or Falls, 

No Table-cloathes, for Parlours or for Halls, 

No Sheetes, no Towels, Napkins, Pillow-beares, 

Nor any Garment man or woman weares. 

Thus is a Needle prov'd an instrument 

Of profit, pleasure, and of ornament. 

Which mighty Q.ueenes haue grac'd in hand to take, 

And high borne Ladies such esteeme did make, 

That as their Daughters Daughters up did grow, 

The Needles Art, they to their children show. 

And as 'twas then an exercise of praise. 

So what deserves more honour in these dayes. 

Than this 1 which daily doth itselfe expresse, 

A mortall enemy to idlenesse. 

The use of Sewing is exceeding old, 

As in the sacred Text it is enrold : 

Our Parents first in Paradise began, 

W^ho hath descended since from man to man : 

The mothers taught their Daughters, Sires their Sons, 

Thus in a line successively it runs 

For generall profit, and for recreation, 

From generation unto generation. 

With work like Cherubims Embroidered rare, 

The Covers of the Tabernacle were. 

And by the Almighti's great command, we see, 

That Aarons Garments broydered worke should be ; 



THE PRAISE OF THE NEEDLE. 2Gi 

And further, God did bid his Vestments should 

Be made most gay, and glorious to behold. 

Thus plainly, and most truly is declar'd 

The needles worke hath still bin in regard, 

For it doth art, so like to natvre frame, 

As if IT were her Sister, or the same. 

Flowers, Plants, and Fishes, Beasts, Birds, Flyes, and Bees, 

Hils, Dales, Plaines, Pastures, Skies, Seas, Rivers, Trees; 

There's nothing neere at hand, or farthest sought, 

But with the Needle may be shap'd and wrought 

In clothes of Arras I have often scene, 

Men's figurd counterfeits so like haue beene, 

That if the parties selfe had beene in place, 

Yet ART would vye with natvre for the grace. 

Moreover, Poisies rare, and Anagrams, 

Signifique searching sentences from names. 

True History, or various pleasant fiction. 

In sundry colours mixt, with Arts commixion, 

All in Dimension, Ovals, Squares, and Rounds, 

Arts life included within Natures bounds : 

So that Art seemeth meerely naturall, 

In forming shapes so Geometricall ; 

And though our Country everywhere is fild 

With Ladies, and with Gentlewomen, skild 

In this rare Art, yet here they may discerne 

Some things to teach them if they list to learne 

And as this booke some cunning workes doth teach, 

(Too hard for meane capacities to reach) 

So for weake learners, other workes here be. 

As plaine and easie as are ABC. 

Thus skilfull, or unskillfuU, each may take 

This booke, and of it each good use may make, 

All sortes of workes, almost that can be nam'd, 

Here are directions how they may be fram'd : 

And for this kingdomes good are hither come. 

From the remotest parts of Christendome, 

Collected with much paines and industry. 

From scorching Spaine and freezing Muscovie^ 

From fertill Prance, and pleasant Ilaly, 

From Poland, Sioeden, Denmarke, Germany, 

And some of these rare Patternes haue beene fet 

Beyond the bonds of faithlesse Mahomet : 



262 THE PRAISE OF THE NEEDLE. 

From spacious China, and those Kingdomes East, 

And from Great Mexico, the Indies West. 

Thus are these workes, farre fzlcht, and dearely bought, 

And consequently good for Ladies thought. 

Nor doe I degrodate (in any case) 

Or doe esteeme of other teachings base, 

For Tent-worke, Raisd^-worke, Laid-worke, FVost-worke, Netrworke^ 

Most curious Purles, or rare lialian Cutworke, 

Fine Feme-stitch, Finny-stitch, New-stitch, and Chain-stitch, 

Eraue Bred-stitch, Fisher-stitch, Irish-stitch, and Qiieen^stitch, 

The Spanish-stitch, Rosemary -stitch, and Moiose-stitch, 

The smarting Whip-stitch, Ba/^k-stitch, &, the Crosse-stitch, 

All these are good, and these we must allow, 

And these are everywhere in practise now. 

And in this I'ook, there are of these some store, 

With many others, neur seene before. 

Here Practise and Invention may be free, 

And as a Squirrel skips from tree to tree, 

So maids may (from their Mistresse, or their Mother) 

Learne to leaue one worke, and to learne an other, 

For here they make may choyce of which is which, 

And skip from worke to worke, from stitch to stitch, 

Vntil, in time, delightfull practice shall 

(With profit) make them perfect in them all. 

Thus hoping that these workes may haue this guide, 

To serue for ornament, and not for pride : 

To cherish vertue, banish idlenesse, 

For these ends, may this booke haue good successe." 

Taylor was a very remarkable man ; and among other of bis 
eccentricities, he undertook to perform a journey from London to 
the Highlands, with a horse and servant, without a penny in his 
pocket, and engaging not to receive any alms. The account of 
this journey, which he wrote partly in prose and partly in verse, 
is a very remarkable picture of the manners of that period. He 
was welcomed by the hospitality of his countrymen throughout 
this journey, and he appears not only to have suffered very few 
privations, but to have fared sumptuously for many weeks. 

Winstanley, in his " Lives of the Poets" says, " He was born 



THE PRAISE OF THE NEEDLE. 263 

in Gloucestershire, where he went to school; and was afterwards 
hound apprentice to a waterman of London, a laborious trade : and 
yet though it be said that ease is the nurse of poetry, yet did he 
not only follow his calling, but also plyed his writings, which in 
time produced above fourscore books, which I have seen ; besides 
several others unknown to me ; some of which were dedicated to 
King James and King Charles I, and by them well accepted, con- 
sidering the meanness of his education to produce works of in- 
genuity."* 



* Sir Egerton Brydges, in the * Censura Litteraria,' has given a long list of 
the Water-poet's pieces ; and in his ' Restituta' the same diligent explorer of 
the recondite and dusty paths of literature, has laid before us another of his 
marvellous exploits, together with an abstract of another work of Taylor's not 
entered in the ' Censura.' 

"This scarce tract is entitled, 'John Taylor's last Voyage and Adventure, 
performed from the twentieth of July last, 1641, to the tenth of September fol- 
lowing. In which time he passed, with a sculler's boat, from the citie of Lon- 
don to the cities and townes of Oxford, Gloucester, Shrewsbury, Bristol, Bathe, 
Monmouth, and Hereford. The manner of his passages and entertainment to 
and fro, truly described. With a short touch of some wandring and some fixed 
schismatiques ; such as are Erownists, Anabaptists, Famalies, Humorists, and 
Foolists, which the author found in many places of his voyage and journey. 
Printed at London by F. L. for John Taylor, and may be had at the shoppe 
of Thomes Baites in the Old Baily, 1G41, 8vo., pp. 32.' " 



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